Pep Guardiola is no longer interested in sending Claudio Echeverri out on loan upon his arrival at Manchester City in January.
Manchester City have been in all sorts of trouble this season. They have been one of the most dominant forces in Europe for years but that hasn’t been the story this time around. With things not going according to plan City, Pep Guardiola has changed his stance on the future of Claudio Echeverri.
According to a report from the Mirror, the Manchester-based giants are no longer interested in sending the Argentine wonderkid out on loan upon his arrival in the winter. They were initially considering loaning him out to sister club Girona but those plans have been dropped.
Echeverri came up the ranks at River Plate and got promoted to their first team in the summer of 2023. He was already a massive name in Argentine football on his way up. Just six months with the first team were enough to convince City that he could do wonders in the long run.
As a result, Guardiola’s team forked out £13.5 million to secure his services at the start of 2024. But, they decided to let him stay at River Plate for another season to continue his development as a player. In the ongoing season, the 18-year-old attacking midfielder featured in a total of 40 matches and he even contributed towards 10 goals.
City no longer looking to loan out Echeverri
The Buenos Aires giants recently requested City to let him stay at their club until after the summer’s Club World Cup but their request was turned down. The initial idea was to send him out on loan to Girona to help him get used to football in Europe.
But, Guardiola has changed his stance on the future of the attacking sensation who can feature on either flank as well as a number ten. The Spanish manager is now considering integrating him into his first team from the start.
With his team struggling to get the desired results and Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish having fitness problems, the City manager feels Echeverri could bring the much-needed spark to their team.
He could be a useful addition to their team for the second half. While he might not be ready to be a regular starter, the teenager can surely be an important squad player for them. He could help get things back on track.