Manchester City could now sell Claudio Echeverri to Benfica permanently, with negotiations taking a big step forward today.
The Portuguese club were already close to taking the Argentine on loan with an option to buy. Less than 24 hours later, the structure being discussed has changed.
Portugal’s Maisfutebol reports Benfica have advanced in talks with Manchester City and are close to completing the signing.
A loan remains possible, but it could now contain an obligation to buy. The two clubs are also discussing simply making the transfer permanent straight away.
That is a quite a shift for a player City had initially been looking to keep close control of his development.
€10-15m deal being discussed
There are now figures attached to the negotiations as well. According to Maisfutebol, Benfica are discussing a deal worth between €10m (£8.6m) and €15m (£12.9m) with the City Football Group.
Manchester City would also retain a percentage of Echeverri’s rights as part of the agreement.
The two sides are currently sorting out the final details, with Benfica now described as being close to getting the deal done.
That takes Sunday’s developments a bit further. At that point, the proposed agreement was a season-long loan with an option to buy. Now that option could become an obligation, or the loan could be removed from the equation altogether.
City could accept less than they paid
There’s another interesting element to the numbers being discussed. Manchester City paid around €18.5m (£15.9m) to sign Echeverri from River Plate in 2023, according to Maisfutebol.
Therefore, a permanent transfer at the reported €10-15m (£8.6-12.9m) range would see City receive a lower initial fee than they originally committed to the Argentine.
Keeping a percentage of his rights could help balance that. Echeverri is still only 20, so City would retain an interest in his future value should Benfica develop him and eventually sell him for considerably more.
There are still final details to resolve, including exactly which structure the clubs settle on. But the direction is set, and Echeverri could now be leaving City for good rather than simply heading out on loan number three.
Sportwitness
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