Echeverri’s agent rules out River return: “He wants it, not City” | OneFootball

The interruption of Claudio Diablito Echeverri's loan at Bayer Leverkusen fueled the excitement of everyone at River, who are eager to see him showcase his talent with the red stripe again. Due to his limited role in Germany, Manchester City decided to recall him, planning to loan him out again in January, and in Núñez, they are waiting with open arms. However, in recent hours, his agent broke the silence and dashed the millionaire hopes.

"The termination with Leverkusen was signed today," confirmed Enzo Montepaone, who had received a public jab from Pep Guardiola weeks earlier. In that fiery press conference, the Spanish coach lamented the few minutes the Argentine attacker had in the last semester: just 11 games, only three as a starter, without goals and one assist.

These alarming records led the Citizens to prematurely end the loan (which was to conclude in mid-2026) and bring him back in this transfer window. But he won't stay in England for long, as he will move to another foreign team to gain experience and fully adapt.

When asked by Bolavip about a possible return to the Millionaire, Montepaone was clear and gave a thumbs down: "It's what Claudio wants, but it's not Manchester City's desire. I have some meetings scheduled with the directors, and we will define what Claudio's future will be, but I can tell you it will be in Europe."

He provided details about his possible destinations in the Old Continent: "There are two teams interested in Claudio. Girona is the most concrete option, but we can't rule out Villarreal either."

Beyond the importance of both teams in Spain, Echeverri's goal is to gain playing time to be back in Lionel Scaloni's plans, as was the case in previous call-ups: "Claudio needs to play because he has chances of being considered for the World Cup with the Argentine National Team."

To conclude, the agent made it clear that the young man from Chaco, just 19 years old, has a River Plate heart and that, despite his efforts, his return was thwarted by the decision of Guardiola and company: "He is very identified with the club, he practically grew up there as a player and as a person, so he will always have the desire to return. It won't be possible now, but that's because Manchester City doesn't want to loan him to South America, otherwise, he would be delighted."

It's worth remembering that Echeverri was sold to the English team at the beginning of 2024 for around 18.5 million euros, following some statements about his failed renewal that had left him in a bad position with the fans. He stayed in Núñez on loan for a year until he moved to Europe at the start of 2025.

Since then, he spent the first six months practically without minutes under Guardiola, and after the Club World Cup, where he scored his only goal in the Old Continent, he moved to Bayer Leverkusen.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.