Claudio Echeverri 'to finalise' Benfica loan after Rúben Dias and Bernardo Silva advice | OneFootball

Claudio Echeverri has landed in Lisbon to complete a loan move to Benfica from Manchester City, a deal that includes an option to buy.

A Bola reports that the 20-year-old arrived on Tuesday night and will undergo a medical before signing. Benfica are racing to finish paperwork before filing their Europa League squad with UEFA.

He said he had consulted Manchester City team-mates Rúben Dias and Bernardo Silva, both former Benfica players, as well as manager Marco Silva, before agreeing to the move.

Echeverri expressed delight at joining and said many Argentinians had succeeded at the club, adding he hopes to help Benfica win titles.

He joined City on a four-and-a-half-year deal in January 2024, then had loans at Bayer Leverkusen and Girona. He is earmarked for the number 10 role in Marco Silva’s set-up, recently held by Heorhiy Sudakov.

Nicknamed El Diablito, he shone at the 2023 South American U-17 Championship, joint-top scorer with five goals and three assists, then hit a hat-trick in Argentina’s 3-0 World Cup quarter-final win over Brazil in Indonesia.

Subject to passing his medical, he could be unveiled on Wednesday and registered for Europe. Benfica are working to complete the deal before the window closes, after which he will aim for a swift debut and regular minutes.

Source: Goal.com

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