Manchester City talent Echeverri heads to Leverkusen on loan to fill hole left by Wirtz

By Canadian Press on August 21, 2025.

LEVERKUSEN, Germany (AP) — Manchester City’s young attacking midfielder Claudio Echeverri is heading to Bayer Leverkusen on loan and has some big shoes to fill.

Considered one of the brightest young talents in South American soccer, the 19-year-old from Argentina joins on a season-long loan to “gain further first-team experience,” City said.

He’ll be expected to take on the role of creative playmaker after Florian Wirtz left for Liverpool for a fee of up to $156 million in June, amid a broader exodus of players from Leverkusen following Xabi Alonso’s departure as coach.

“Soccer fans come to the stadium to see players like Claudio,” sporting director Simon Rolfes said. “His creativity will give our game new, attractive facets.”

Echeverri signed for City in January 2024 but didn’t join up with the team for a year after returning to his old club River Plate for a loan in Argentina.

He’s played three times since then for City — including a debut in the FA Cup final — and scored his first goal on his first start for the team against Al-Ain at the Club World Cup.

Leverkusen heads into its first Bundesliga fixture of the season Saturday against Hoffenheim after winning its first-round German Cup match last week in new coach Erik ten Hag’s first game in charge.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

The Associated Press