Manchester City could potentially cut the loan spell of one of their attackers short in January, having grown 'annoyed' by his situation at his new club.
The Citizens allowed six players to head out on temporary deals during the most recent transfer window, sanctioning moves for Jack Grealish, Claudio Echeverri, Vitor Reis, Manuel Akanji, Sverre Nypan and Josh Wilson-Esbrand.
Some of City's loanees are enjoying life in a different shirt, as Grealish has excelled on the left-hand side for Everton, while Akanji has confirmed that he wants to stay at Inter Milan beyond the end of the season.
Meanwhile, Nypan has been part of a Middlesbrough side who sit second in the Championship table, but Echeverri has struggled to have the same impact at Bayer Leverkusen.
The 19-year-old Argentine playmaker has played just eight times for the 2023-24 Bundesliga champions in all competitions, only providing one assist and failing to find the back of the net himself.
Man City 'annoyed' by Claudio Echeverri loan situation
Steven McInerney / Esteemed Kompany YouTube image
In total, Echeverri has played just 240 minutes for Leverkusen across all tournaments this term, making four appearances in the Bundesliga and another four in the Champions League.
Only three of those outings have come from the first whistle for Echeverri, who has been an unused substitute in five of Die Werkself's last six Bundesliga games, all of which Kasper Hjulmand's side won.
Ernest Poku, Jonas Hofmann, Malik Tillman and Eliesse Ben Seghir are often preferred to the Man City-owned youngster, and according to German outlet Bild - via the Manchester Evening News- the Sky Blues have now expressed their frustration at his situation.
City sent Echeverri to the BayArena with the hope of consistent game time, but the report adds that the Citizens could now look to terminate the agreement and bring the 2006-born playmaker back to Manchester in the January transfer window.
Pep Guardiola's side face Leverkusen in the Champions League at the Etihad in two Tuesdays' time, and club chiefs are expected to hold talks over Echeverri's situation and future ahead of the contest.
Unlike in the Premier League - where loan players are not permitted to play against their parent clubs - Echeverri will be free to face Man City in the Champions League, if he is selected by Hjulmand.
Where else could Claudio Echeverri go in January?
Manchester City's Claudio Echeverri on May 17, 2025
If the Sky Blues decide to cancel Echeverri's Leverkusen loan, the club could send him out to one of their other sides in the City Football Group - La Liga's Girona are a standout option there.
The Argentine could also be an intriguing option for a Premier League team looking for additional creativity in the January transfer window - perhaps a Leeds United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Nottingham Forest or Burnley, clubs who are not a direct threat to Man City.
City signed Echeverri from River Plate for £16.4m in January 2024, but the Argentina Under-20 international has made just three appearances for the Sky Blues, scoring one goal in a Club World Cup win over Al-Ain this summer.
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