After Echeverri signing: Man City must cash in on Pep's "special player"

It is quite remarkable that a somewhat ‘disappointing’ season could still end in FA Cup glory and a top-four finish for Manchester City, with Pep Guardiola’s side having the chance to go out on a high despite witnessing the end to their Premier League dominance.

As their crushing Champions League defeat to Real Madrid showcased, this is not the Man City of old. But is that such a bad thing?

With Guardiola on board until the end of the 2026/27 campaign, at least, the Etihad side have the chance to rebuild and go again, with the hope of fashioning a new and exciting squad. Out with the old – Kevin De Bruyne and co – and in with the new?

That intriguing revamp has, it would appear, already started following an influx of January additions, with the Citizens’ taking a far more youth-centric approach with the signings of Vitor Reis (19), Abdukodir Khusanov (20) and Nico Gonzalez (23). Omar Marmoush, 26, is the only outlier of the bunch.

That wave of fresh faces has since been followed by the belated arrival of Argentine teenager, Claudio Echeverri, with the 19-year-old now finally able to make his mark in a City shirt.

What Claudio Echeverri brings to Man City

It has become the norm of late for Premier League clubs to snap up South American talent in their teenage years, with top-flight outfits looking for long-term success, as well as short-term gains.

Indeed, this summer will see Estevao Willian and Kendry Paez finally make the move to Chelsea from Brazil and Ecuador, respectively, while Manchester United are also set to welcome Paraguayan full-back, Diego Leon, at the end of the season, having initially struck a deal in January.

Patience is key with such moves, with City having also been forced to wait to see young Echeverri arrive in Manchester, after actually confirming the £12.5m deal with River Plate back in January 2024, before sending him back on loan to his homeland.

Still only 19, the promising playmaker certainly looks to have a bright future in the game, with data analyst Ben Mattinson lauding him as a “proper superstar” and an “ideal successor to Bernardo [Silva]” at the Etihad.

The teenager has also only recently been handed a surprise call-up to the senior Argentina squad, ahead of the World Cup qualifiers against Brazil and Uruguay later this month, with that coming off the back of his stunning displays at the U20 South American Championship, where he registered nine goals and assists in total.

With 12 goal involvements in 48 games for River to boot, Echeverri appears to warrant the hype, with it intriguing to see just how he will be eased in by Guardiola over the coming weeks and months, as well as how his introduction will impact the current squad…

The potential loser from Echeverri’s arrival

What is certain is that the attacking midfielder will only serve to increase the competition in an already well-stocked department in Manchester, with the youngster set to compete with the likes of Silva, De Bruyne and Phil Foden for a starting berth.

Such an exciting addition could then serve to nudge the likes of James McAtee even further down the pecking order, with the 22-year-old still yet to truly establish himself, despite showing flashes of late.

Lauded as a “special player” by his manager, McAtee – who spent the last two seasons on loan at Sheffield United – has scored six goals in 21 games in all competitions in 2024/25, albeit with just six of those outings coming from the start.

The left-footed academy graduate remained with Guardiola’s side despite rampant speculation surrounding his future during the January window, with clubs in the Bundesliga and Premier League seemingly keen to take him off City’s hands.

Guardiola had admitted that he understood if there was any “frustration” from McAtee regarding his limited involvement, albeit having stressed his desire to keep hold of the Englishman amid the mounting interest in his signature.

It could be said that with Echeverri now in the door, the upcoming summer window could present the perfect time to finally cash in on McAtee, even despite his undoubted promise, with the Argentine representing a readymade replacement in the squad.

There have been suggestions that losing the Salford native would be akin to “another Cole Palmer situation“, yet that might be a risk that the Citizens are willing to take, should Echeverri be afforded the chance to go on and flourish instead.

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