AS Roma propose €33M deal for Manchester City midfielder with buy-back clause included | OneFootball

Manchester City may have the opportunity to bank themselves a remarkable profit on a player with huge potential next year, whilst also retaining a hold on his future.

After initial plans for a loan move to sister club Girona were seemingly met with hesitation from the player and his camp, fresh interest has emerged from one of Italy’s top clubs ahead of the start of the new season.

Claudio Echeverri’s next move continues to take centre stage in transfer conversations within Manchester City circles, and amid increased competition for midfield minutes at the Etihad Stadium, a temporary exit remains firmly on the cards this summer.

Previous reporting suggested City preferred a loan within the City Football Group structure, with Girona earmarked as the ideal destination, however that received a lukewarm response from the player, who is believed to be prioritising development opportunities at clubs where he can play regularly in a top European competition – or potentially in the Premier League.

Sources close to the 19-year-old believe that Echeverri needs first-team minutes this season if he is to fulfil his ambition of breaking into Argentina’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Now, according to a new report from Corriere dello Sport, a basic ‘dry loan’ for Claudio Echeverri is not an option for AS Roma, who see it as a potential risk to develop the player at the club only to lose him definitively back to City upon the conclusion of the campaign.

As such, it is claimed that the Italian giants are working on a loan with a €33 million option to buy, whilst also handing Manchester City the opportunity to retain a buy-back clause in future valued at €40 million.

Roma’s proposed structure appears to offer a compromise between Echeverri’s need for a long-term opportunity and City’s desire to keep some control over the future of one of their highest-rated young assets.

The Serie A side would benefit from a full season of Echeverri’s talents and the chance to secure his services long-term, but without the obligation to buy if he fails to live up to expectations.

For City, the buy-back clause would ensure the club is not shut out from a potential reunion should Echeverri flourish in Rome, much like their previous arrangements with the likes of Douglas Luiz, Romeo Lavia, and James Trafford in recent years.

What comes next will likely depend on how hard Roma push to finalise a formal proposal and whether other suitors – particularly from within the Premier League – intensify their own interest. A move to another English top-flight club is currently seen as the most beneficial alternative, and City officials are open to that route, if it guaranteed consistent minutes.