Borussia Dortmund have reportedly been beaten by a Bundesliga rival in the race to sign Manchester City attacker Claudio Echeverri.
The highly-rated 19-year-old has been tipped to leave the Etihad Stadium on a temporary basis throughout this summer and has attracted interest from a number of European clubs.
Earlier this month, it was reported that Serie A outfit Roma were keen to negotiate a loan deal that included a purchase option for Echeverri, but Man City were not prepared to agree to those terms.
It is thought that the Citizens were pushing to loan Echeverri to sister club Girona, but the Argentine would prefer to continue his development at a club competing in the Champions League.
Multiple news outlets have since claimed that German giants Dortmund have made a similar offer to Roma for Echeverri - a loan with an option to buy - and Man City have been weighing up the Bundesliga as a potential destination for the attacker.
Manchester City's Claudio Echeverri on May 17, 2025
Echeverri set for Leverkusen medical ahead of joining on loan from Man City
However, according to Sky Deutschland reporter Florian Plettenberg, Bayer Leverkusen have successfully hijacked Dortmund’s pursuit of Echeverri and have a ‘full agreement’ with Man City to take the youngster on loan without an option to buy.
A separate report from journalist Fabrizio Romano claims that Leverkusen will cover Echeverri’s wages and the attacker is on his way to Germany to undergo a medical tonight (Tuesday) ahead of finalising his move to the BayArena.
Echeverri is set to become the latest high-profile addition to Erik ten Hag’s Leverkusen squad this summer after the likes of Jarell Quansah, Malik Tillman, Mark Flekken and Ibrahim Maza.
Leverkusen have been keen to strengthen their options in the final third following the club-record departure of Florian Wirtz to Liverpool earlier this summer, and Ten Hag will hope that attacking midfield duo Echeverri and Tillmann can fill the void.
Claudio Echeverri of Manchester City celebrates scoring on June 23, 2025
The rise of Echeverri: From South America to Europe
Echeverri joined Man City from River Plate for around £12.5m in January 2024, before returning to his native Argentina on loan for the remainder of the calendar year.
Widely regarded as one of the brightest prospects from South America, Echeverri has been tipped for stardom after being dubbed the 'next Lionel Messi' in Argentina and he has already excelled at youth level for club and country.
Echeverri arrived in Manchester in January of this year on the back of a superb Under-20 South American Championship campaign, recording six goals and three assists across nine games as well as captaining his nation to a runners-up finish.
The attacking midfielder made his senior debut for Man City as a second-half substitute in the FA Cup final defeat to Crystal Palace in May, before scoring his first goal for the club - a brilliant free-kick - in a FIFA Club World Cup group-stage win over Al-Ain.
Echeverri - nicknamed El Diablito (little devil) - will hope to feature regularly for a Leverkusen side who finished second in the Bundesliga last season after winning their first-ever German top-flight title the year before.
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