Revealed: Manchester City bosses and midfielder’s camp clashed over summer transfer plans | OneFootball

Claudio Echeverri’s representatives and executives at the Etihad Stadium were at odds with each other over a loan destination for the Manchester City midfielder in the summer, as per a new report.

The 19-year-old joined Bayer Leverkusen on a season-long loan in August to progress his development with regular playing opportunities after an encouraging set of performances in the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.

Echeverri arrived at the Etihad Stadium from River Plate in January and after getting accustomed to Pep Guardiola’s methods in his first few months at the Etihad Stadium, the teenager was given his senior Manchester City debut in the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace.

Guardiola called upon the Argentine star ahead of £100 million signing Jack Grealish to come off the bench and overturn a one-goal deficit against Crystal Palace, who held on to their lead and sealed FA Cup glory over a lacklustre Manchester City side.

City sanctioned a series of season-long loans for first-team stars in the recent transfer window, which marked the appointment of Hugo Viana as the club’s director of football to spearhead a rejig of Guardiola’s dressing room in the backdrop of a dismal, trophyless 2024-25 season.

Vitor Reis, who joined Manchester City from Palmeiras in January, joined Girona on loan for the 2025-26 campaign and it has now been revealed that executives at the Etihad Stadium were keen on Echeverri joining Reis in Spain.

According to the information of Mail Sport’s Jack Gaughan, Manchester City had wanted Echeverri to spend the 2025-26 season at City Football Group sister club Girona but his representatives chose Bayer Leverkusen.

However, things have not gone to plan for Echeverri in the German top-flight and a lack of action for the Argentine in the first half of the season has raised questions over his camp’s insistence to join Leverkusen.

Manchester City retain an option to re-call Echeverri to England should they feel he will be better served by sticking close to Guardiola’s first-team and get further minutes in the locker in various cup competitions.

There is also a good chance that the Blues opt to send Echeverri elsewhere on loan for the second half of the season, with openings few and far between in Manchester City’s midfield as things stand following the club’s heavy recruitment in the summer transfer window.

Given the Argentine’s ongoing struggles in the Bundesliga, the report highlights that there will be a ‘re-evaluation’ of Echeverri’s place at Leverkusen ‘over the next few weeks’ – presumably with a view towards relocating the talent in January if necessary.

City will conduct a routine review of all on-loan stars in January and a re-call will only be considered as a last resort, with club officials expected to have been left frustrated with Leverkusen and Echeverri’s representatives ahead of a crossroads few months for the teenager’s short-term future.