Man City’s Argentine midfielder joins Benfica

Manchester City’s Argentine attacking midfielder Claudio Echeverri has joined Portuguese giants Benfica on loan, with the 20-year-old arriving in Lisbon to complete the move.

Echeverri signed a four and a half-year contract with Manchester City in January 2024 but has made only one appearance for the English club. He subsequently spent loan spells at German club Bayer Leverkusen and Spanish side Girona FC.

According to Portuguese newspaper A Bola, Benfica have also kept open the possibility of making the move permanent. Echeverri reportedly received positive recommendations about the club from his Manchester City teammates Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva, both of whom previously played for Benfica.

Echeverri rose to prominence during the 2023 South American Under-17 Championship, where he scored five goals and provided three assists to finish as one of the tournament’s joint top scorers.

Later that year, he further enhanced his reputation at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Indonesia, scoring a memorable hat-trick against Brazil in Argentina’s quarter-final victory.

Despite his potential, Echeverri has struggled to secure a regular starting place during his previous loan spells. His move to Benfica is therefore expected to provide him with greater opportunities for first-team football.

He is expected to feature as a No. 10 in Benfica manager Marco Silva’s tactical setup, with the Portuguese club hoping the highly-rated youngster can finally establish himself as a regular at senior level.

-sa