Claudio Echeverri firm on River Plate stance as Manchester City consider Bayer Leverkusen loan termination | OneFootball

Manchester City star Claudio Echeverri has revealed his preferred January 2026 destination after playing just 240 minutes of football on loan at Bayer Leverkusen. 

The 19-year-old was highly sought-after before finalising a move to the Premier League side in January 2024 but after being loaned out to Leverkusen, he has struck limited fortune as his minutes have been cut drastically by Leverkusen boss Kasper Hjulmand, who replaced Erik ten Hag early into the 2025-26 campaign.

It’s a particularly frustrating time for the Argentine, who shrugged off interest from Barcelona to fulfill his dream of playing in the Premier League and a downtrend in minutes has seen him spend most of this season on the bench. 

When Leverkusen and City met at the Etihad Stadium in the Champions League on Tuesday night, the Argentine was an unused substitute despite being fully eligible to play under European regulations.

As his season continues to nosedive alongside his unwavering yet perhaps dissipating potential as a result, Echeverri is looking for options elsewhere as Pep Guardiola and co explore potentially terminating his Leverkusen loan in January in order to prevent the stagnation of his career. 

Now, as reported by journalist German Garcia Grova and relayed by Sport Witness, the teenager wants to return to River Plate in January 2026 despite Manchester City advising him against such a move. 

Regardless, River don’t seem to be knocked by the English club’s opinion and will pursue the player – who is a product of their youth system and spent two years with the first-team before moving to England in January.

Additionally, River manager Marcelo Gallardo wants to bolster his squad in January 2026 as his side sit sixth in the Argentine Primera Division, setting his sights on a return for Echeverri, with talks already underway to engineer the same.

It is thought that City want the Argentina U23 international to remain in Europe to gain elite-level experience. Nevertheless, Echeverri is pushing to return to his old side while ‘keeping a low profile so as to not offend anyone’, mainly Guardiola’s side. 

Through time, Echeverri has grown to become one of the most anticipated attacking midfielders in the world and possesses similarities to other City stars including Phil Foden, Oscar Bobb and Bernardo Silva. 

That’s mainly down to the player’s ability to dribble with intent and being able to operate as a number 10, on the wing or in a free-roaming role. All aforementioned players have a low centre of gravity and are characterised by agility, quick feet and a potent shot-shaping propensity. 

Whether Echeverri remains in Europe is yet to be seen but it’s thought that any promises against City’s desires could end in a permanent cutting of ties between both parties, potentially proving costly for the player as the City Football Academy (CFA) is one of the greatest development courses across the globe.