Claudio Echeverri to return to Manchester City confirms manager | OneFootball

Manchester City have made the decision to terminate Claudio Echeverri’s loan at Bayer Leverkusen early, it has been confirmed.

The move brings an abrupt end to what has been a difficult spell in Germany for the highly-rated Argentine, whose lack of regular minutes has been a recurring theme throughout the first half of the season.

As previously reported, Manchester City inserted a recall clause into the loan agreement signed during the summer, giving the Premier League giants full control should Echeverri’s development somewhat stall at the Bundesliga side.

Echeverri’s situation has generated significant attention, with multiple reports outlining ideas over his next step while City officials consistently favour a European pathway. Girona, operated under the City Football Group, have been cited as a preferred destination.

Tensions surrounding the original loan have also played out publicly as Guardiola recently criticised the role of Echeverri’s agent, indicating that a move to Girona had been proposed by City but ultimately ignored in favour of Bayer Leverkusen.

Now, speaking during a press conference on Friday, Bayer Leverkusen manager Kasper Hjulmand has confirmed his side and Manchester City have agreed to terminate the loan agreement for Claudio Echeverri earlier than intended.

“We’ve made the decision together with Manchester City that he will return. As a result, he won’t be in the squad. This was decided over the past few days,” Hjulmand told reporters this week.

Offering his thoughts on the Argentine midfielder, the coach explained, “I think Claudio is a great player and I have a lot of trust in him and his development. But we have a lot of players in his position. It’s really difficult to give minutes to everyone.

“He has trained well and is a great kid, there has been no problem with him. He has huge potential, but it simply wasn’t possible to give him more playing time here.”

With Echeverri now set to return to the Etihad Stadium, attention will immediately turn to City’s next move. The club are unlikely to re-integrate the teenager into Guardiola’s first-team squad for the rest of the season, instead prioritising a fresh loan.

Girona remain firmly in the frame, having already received indications that Echeverri would be open to the move, and the La Liga side are viewed internally as a controlled and trusted environment for his continued development.

What is clear is that Manchester City remain committed to a long-term European development plan for Claudio Echeverri, even if the first attempt through a Bundesliga pathway has ultimately fallen well short.