The 19-year-old youth player from Chaco, who was not considered by Pep Guardiola, will play this season in Germany, which puts his participation in the U-20 World Cup at risk
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Claudio "Diablito" Echeverri will face a new challenge in Europe. The footballer who came up through River and is currently at Manchester City has been loaned to Bayer Leverkusen for one season, with no purchase option and with the German club covering 100% of his salary. There, he will share the squad with Exequiel Palacios, world champion with the Argentina National Team.
The 19-year-old from Chaco had fallen out of favor with Pep Guardiola, who was looking to place him at another City Group club, such as Girona. He was also on Roma's radar, but the interest from the German side convinced City due to the terms of the deal: pure loan, with no future clauses.
Echeverri will travel immediately to Germany, where he will undergo a medical examination and be officially presented. Bayer Leverkusen, now managed by Erik ten Hag after Xabi Alonso's departure to Real Madrid, is going through a rebuilding phase after selling three of its stars: Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, and Jonathan Tah.
Ten Hag necesita rearmar al Leverkusen
Leverkusen, current Bundesliga runner-up and recent champion of the first league title in its history, will make its debut this Saturday in the domestic tournament against Hoffenheim. It is unlikely that the Argentine will be included in the initial squad, but the coaching staff's plan is to give him a leading role from the start of the season.
The problem with the U-20 National Team
His loan, however, is causing concern for the Youth National Team. Echeverri's participation in the U-20 World Cup in Chile (September 27 to October 19) is in doubt, since it will depend on Leverkusen's authorization. Meanwhile, Franco Mastantuono is facing a similar situation, as he would not be released by Real Madrid to play in the tournament.
Echeverri podría no jugar el Mundial Sub-20
His numbers in England
Diablito arrived at City at the beginning of this year, after shining in the South American U-20 Championship. He made his debut in the FA Cup final, played a few minutes in the Premier League, and scored a free-kick goal in the Club World Cup against Al-Ain, before suffering an injury that sidelined him. In total, he played just three matches and 65 official minutes with the Citizens.
