Loan struggles behind him for now
Claudio Echeverri has returned to Manchester City action in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Wigan Athletic, and is expected to feature in Tuesday's shop window game, according to reports.
The 20-year-old Argentine has had a difficult time of it since arriving from River Plate in 2025. After a brief period under Pep Guardiola, he was sent to Bayer Leverkusen for the 2025/26 season — a loan that didn't go to plan.
Echeverri himself admitted he had "a difficult few months" in Germany and asked for the loan to be terminated early, hoping instead for a return to River Plate, the club he'd been at since the age of 10.
Instead, he was sent to City's sister club Girona, where things improved. He found his footing there and featured in a notable win over Barcelona.
What Tuesday means
Now back at the City Academy, Echeverri is one of 25 players set to feature in a showcase game on Tuesday, with journalist Alan Nixon reporting that several clubs are expected to attend from the EFL Championship and across Europe. Most of the players involved will be available for loan or permanent moves.
Divine Mukasa, Jaden and Reigan Heskey, Divine Mubama, Max Alleyne and plenty others are all expected to be involved. Jack Grealish and Kalvin Phillips may also feature after Grealish posted a video of the pair training together last week.
Both Grealish and Phillips are returning from loan spells — at Everton and Sheffield United respectively — and could stay at City beyond this window after it emerged that Enzo Maresca plans to give them a chance during the pre-season tour of Asia.