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Claudio Echeverri is on loan at Bayer Leverkusen from Manchester City this season but he is struggling for game time with the Bundesliga side.
Pep Guardiola suggested Claudio Echeverri's agent holds the key to whether Manchester City recall the Argentine from a disappointing loan spell at Bayer Leverkusen in January. Echeverri could face his parent club in the Champions League on Tuesday, but he has struggled for minutes since joining the Bundesliga side in the summer.
He was an unused substitute as Kasper Hjulmand's side beat Wolfsburg 3-1 on Saturday and has now featured in just one of their last seven Bundesliga fixtures. The 19-year-old has fared a little better in the Champions League, playing in all four matches and starting two, but in total, he has played just 240 minutes so far during his loan spell.
That has left City frustrated given the high regard they hold Echeverri in. After arriving at the club in February 2024 after a £12.5million move from River Plate, he made his Blues debut as a substitute in the FA Cup final and scored a superb free-kick in the Club World Cup before seeing his tournament ended early through injury.
His momentum has stalled in Germany, but Guardiola insisted City still had faith in the teenager despite his struggles on loan. "Always would love that players play a lot of minutes, the intention is always there, we have an incredible appreciation about him as a football player," he said. "I am sure pretty sure his agent will know everything."
Guardiola again referenced Echeverri's agent, Enzo Montepaone, when asked about the possibility of recalling him in January, delivering a sassy response that hinted at frustration at the way things had gone wrong for the Argentina Under-23 international this season.
"It is a question for his beautiful agent," Guardiola said when asked if City might bring him back in January.
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