**Claudio Echeverri’s defective time in the Bundesliga could come to an end in January as further details were revealed about the Manchester City player’s future in a new report this week.**
Since joining Bayer Leverkusen on loan in August – with the hope of gaining first-team experience and in turn, progressing concurrently to the rate that Pep Guardiola desires – Echeverri’s reality displays a stark contrast.
The 19-year-old has been limited to just 259 minutes from nine matches under Leverkusen boss Kasper Hjulmand and has spent the majority of the season sitting on the bench. Even when the German club beat City 2-0 in the UEFA Champions League last week, the Argentine was an unused substitute – despite being eligible to play under European regulations.
The highly-rated player and officials at the Etihad Stadium have grown frustrated at the situation that only seems to be worsening as the season develops, with Guardiola sarcastically telling a journalist last week, “It’s a question for his beautiful agent” when quizzed about the possibility of recalling Echeverri to Manchester in January.
The attacking midfielder has since revealed that he would like to return to his boyhood club River Plate in January but City would much prefer the teenager moves elsewhere in Europe to maintain an intense and high level of football.
Of course, Echeverri has no intention of snubbing his parent club and wants to complete a move with minimal hostility, though Manchester City’s desires differ from his own and it is imagined that those stationed at the club have the higher ground in this situation.
The talent of Echeverri hasn’t gone unnoticed despite his large spells off the pitch in Germany this season, with [El Intrasigente journalist Hugo Balassone](https://elintransigente.com/2025/11/hugo-balassone-dio-el-refuerzo-que-busca-river-negociacion-en-marcha/) revealing that two clubs in Spain and another Premier League side are interested in the Argentine.
“Two Spanish teams and one Premier League team are interested in Echeverri. And City haven’t ruled out bringing him back. But River has taken the lead and negotiations are underway,” Balassone said, as relayed by [Sport Witness](https://sportwitness.co.uk/pl-and-spanish-interest-in-manchester-city-player-revealed-january-move-could-be-on-cards/).
“What his (Echeverri’s) agent will seek when he travels to Germany is to terminate his loan at Bayer (Leverkusen). The player wants to play. It doesn’t depend on just one situation, but on several. But River has made progress, negotiations are underway. It also depends on what City want to do.”
The interested parties are yet to be identified but the general admiration for Echeverri is an outcome of his eye-catching potential. Seen as a generational talent by scouts at City, it’s important that the relationship between club and player doesn’t break down – while the attacker looks set to be recalled in the January transfer window.
The current loanee is likely to become favourable in England with more experience in another major league but understandably acts as no competition to the likes of City’s other world-class talent, such as Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki.
That being said, Manchester City director of football Hugo Viana and co are searching the market for more attacking threat due to City’s lack of depth in the final third and, as a result, both Bourmemouth’s Antoine Semenyo and Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye have been mentioned – with the former set to have his release clause triggered next month.