“I’d love to keep him” – Manager issues last-minute plea to Manchester City over imminent player transfer | OneFootball

River Plate’s manager has issued a last-minute public plea to Manchester City decision makers over the agreement to bring Claudio Echeverri to the club in January 2025.

The Premier League champions reached an agreement over the signing of Echeverri during the last January transfer window, with the player penning a long-term agreement at the Etihad Stadium until the summer of 2028.

Such is Manchester City’s belief in the player’s long-term potential that Etihad officials sanctioned a deal worth £12.5 million plus add-ons, with the playmaker remaining on loan at River Plate until the end of 2024.

Manchester United’s chief executive and former chief operations officer at Manchester City, Omar Berrada was credited for his involvement in the agreement, reportedly ‘working long, hard and successfully’ on a ‘challenging’ deal.

But despite the extended stay of the player in his homeland, the Premier League champions’ decision to bring the player to the club in January as opposed to issuing a further loan deal has not been received warmly by those at River Plate.

Speaking to the media this week, River Plate manager Marcelo Gallardo has hinted at the incoming City playmaker not quite being ready for the step up into top-level European football, as part of a wider plea to retain the teenager for longer.

“Some players are ready to make the jump to Europe and others are not,” Gallardo explained, as translated and relayed by Sport Witness.

“Claudio is a very young boy, he still needs to develop in Argentinian football, he still needs to finish developing his physique and then he has all the technical qualities to be a great footballer,” he continnued.

“He’s in a process of development which is normal, he is only 18 years old. I hope we can keep him for another year and that he leaves in better conditions.”

Gallardo went on to issue a plea to City to retain the player’s services at River Plate for another 12 months, after the Premier League champions had already left the playmaker on loan with the club for an extra year after reaching an agreement over his future services in January.

Gallardo explained, “Today it is clear that City have already paid his fee, he is on loan until the end of the year and River have to accept it. If City give us the chance, I’d love to keep him for another year, but it’s not up to me.”

Echeverri follows a unique pathway taken by a select few Manchester City and European football stars in jumping immediately from the South American game into Pep Guardiola’s first-team squad.

Gabriel Jesus was the first to make the leap having joined Guardiola’s operation immediately from Palmeiras, whilst Julian Alvarez joined Manchester City from River Plate, with both deals completed in January and finalised in the following summer.