Here is an article from germany. Please forgive any mistakes, I used a translation program.
Seit Jahren trägt Claudio Echeverri das Label „Ausnahmetalent” mit sich herum. Davon darf der junge Argentinier bei seiner Leihe von Manchester City zu Bayer Leverkusen bisher jedoch nur wenig zeigen. Wieso eigentlich?
www.sport1.de
A much-discussed personnel issue
For years, Claudio Echeverri has been labeled an “exceptional talent.” However, the young Argentine has had little opportunity to demonstrate this during his loan spell from Manchester City to Bayer Leverkusen. Why is that?
If there are ever favorable days in football to be substituted or relieved at halftime, then Claudio Echeverri probably had one on Tuesday. Shortly before the break, virtually everything that could go wrong went wrong for Bayer Leverkusen. They missed a penalty, received a red card, and were simply overwhelmed. That's always bad. But it's especially bad against Paris Saint-Germain.
Because “the best team in the world,” as coach Kasper Hjulmand said, taught the Werkself a lesson, turning them inside out with their enthusiasm for the game. After 45 minutes, the score was 1-4, and the only thing left to do was to try to get out of the situation with as little damage as possible. But even that didn't work out. In the second half, there was one effective strike after another, until the final score was 2-7.
It was an evening to forget for everyone who supported Leverkusen. And for Echeverri, even more so. The highly acclaimed Argentine had raised a few eyebrows in recent weeks because, despite showing promise, he simply wasn't getting any playing time. Now Hjulmand finally let him off the leash—only to tie him back down again after just one half. More than ever, the question arises: what is actually going on with the new signing who has been labeled an exceptional talent?
Echeverri was dubbed the “new Lionel Messi.”
Back in August, when the Rhinelanders prevailed in the race to sign the 19-year-old, beating out Borussia Dortmund, among others, and announcing the loan, the hype was huge. The attacking midfielder is considered one of South America's most promising gems and has been labeled an “exceptional talent” for years. Some even call him the “new Lionel Messi.” The young Echeverri has long had to endure comparisons with his most prominent compatriot.
Since the end of 2023, football experts have agreed that Echeverri has what it takes to be a global star. This belief was based on his performance at the U17 World Cup. In seven appearances, he scored five goals, three of them in Argentina's sensational 3-0 quarterfinal victory over archrival Brazil. Although his team's run ended in the semifinals against eventual world champions Germany, the youngster delighted fans throughout the tournament with his creativity, close ball control, enthusiasm, and accuracy.
European clubs were quick to line up. Echeverri, who was already playing for River Plate's professional team at the time, was linked with Atlético and Real Madrid, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus Turin, Inter, and AC Milan. ManCity won the race in early 2024 and let him continue playing for his training club on loan for another year. Nevertheless, after his permanent move to England, he only made one appearance each in the Premier League, the FA Cup, and the Club World Cup.
Why Echeverri doesn't play often in Leverkusen yet
The solution? A loan. And Leverkusen as the seemingly perfect destination. Echeverri was supposed to help fill the huge gap left by Florian Wirtz's transfer to Liverpool. Managing director Simon Rolfes was already raving about him when he signed. The Argentine is “very strong at dribbling, with a drive toward the goal and always able to use his teammates to his advantage. Football fans come to the stadium for someone like Claudio. His creativity will add new, attractive facets to our game.”
However, those who came to the stadium specifically to see Echeverri rarely saw the Argentine bring new, exciting elements to the game. Most of the time, he sat on the bench or was seen warming up. He only spent 172 minutes on the pitch, spread over seven games. It was to be expected that the top talent would need a little longer to get going, as he hardly played in his first six months in Europe and needs to regain match practice. However, such a bumpy start at Bayer was not to be expected.
After all, with his carefree, bustling style, he has repeatedly shown flashes of brilliance. But his starting debut against PSG also proved what is still missing. Too often, Echeverri tried to force his way through, and before the 1-3, he made a costly mistake that led to a loss of possession. Time and again, he takes artistic liberties and does not play as reliably tactically as Hjulmand would like. That's why the Dane is currently relying more on more disciplined players to further accelerate the stabilization of the Werkself.
Echeverri missed the U20 World Cup
What makes sense in the current situation in view of the upheaval is bitter for Echeverri, however, and even caused anger in Argentina. He could have gained playing experience either in Leverkusen or at the recently concluded U20 World Cup in Chile, but the Rhinelanders ultimately decided not to release their player. The reason: they needed his services themselves. But throughout the tournament, Echeverri was only allowed to play a few minutes under Hjulmand.
“Leverkusen. What the hell is wrong with you? They say Germans are very well prepared and intelligent. You know what, Leverkusen? What you did with Echeverri during this World Cup was really stupid,” raged journalist Toti Pasman on DSPORTS. “If you had let him go to the World Cup, Barcelona would be buying him from you today for 50 million.” Pasman had apparently forgotten for a few seconds that Echeverri is only on loan.
Echeverri now needs to shake off his frustration and focus on the positives. Although he was substituted after just 45 minutes in the devastating defeat to PSG, it wasn't all bad. He was one of the few bright spots in attack. If he can also impress in defense and in terms of tactical discipline in the near future, he could still live up to the high expectations in Leverkusen, albeit with a slight delay.
