Man City are said to be preparing to decide to bring a star to Etihad in the context of the team facing many difficulties.

According to The Mirror, Man City are considering changing their original plans for young talent Claudio Echeverri when the January transfer window opens.

Echeverri has been described as the “new Lionel Messi” in his native Argentina. A right-footed attacking midfielder, Echeverri possesses excellent technique, impressive playmaking and finishing ability. He made headlines as captain of the Argentina U17 team at the U17 World Cup and is considered one of the most promising talents in South American football.

The 18-year-old joined Man City for £13.5m last winter. However, he was allowed to continue playing at River Plate to develop further in 2023. Notably, River Plate once offered to keep him until after the upcoming Club World Cup, but Man City’s board rejected this request, showing their determination to exploit the potential of this young talent soon.

Initially, Echeverri’s move to Girona was seen as a logical stepping stone to help him adapt to European football. However, Girona are struggling to secure a place in the Champions League, making this plan no longer a priority.

In addition, The Citizens are seriously lacking in personnel and creativity, especially when De Bruyne, Foden and Grealish have all had long periods of time on the sidelines this season.

Currently, the Etihad Stadium team is going through a difficult 2024/2025 season when suffering a series of disappointing matches. Before defeating Nottingham Forest in round 14 of the Premier League, Pep Guardiola’s army had gone 7 consecutive matches without knowing the taste of victory in all competitions (6 defeats, 1 draw).

Recently, they continued to show instability this season with a disappointing draw at Crystal Palace, thereby missing the opportunity to chase the top team Liverpool in the Premier League championship race.