Claudio Echeverri is beginning another chapter of his career in Portugal. Benfica has confirmed the signing of the 20-year-old Argentine attacking midfielder on loan from Manchester City through the end of the 2026-27 season. The agreement includes an option to buy, although the Portuguese club has not publicly disclosed its value. For the former River Plate prospect, the move represents another opportunity to find the consistent playing time that has so far proved difficult to secure since moving to European soccer.
The young prospect landing in the Portuguese league
Claudio Echeverri, one of the brightest prospects produced by River Plate and Argentine soccer, will look for regular playing time at Benfica. The attacking midfielder joins on loan from Manchester City for the season, with an option to buy.
Echeverri joined River Plate’s youth system when he was 10 and developed into one of the leading talents of his generation. He made his professional debut in June 2023 and eventually accumulated 48 first-team appearances before moving permanently to Europe.
Manchester City signed him in January 2024 but initially allowed him to remain on loan at River Plate. The Argentine joined the English club in 2025 and made his senior debut under Pep Guardiola as a substitute in the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace. He later scored a free kick against Al Ain at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
His search for regular minutes continued through two loans in 2025-26. Echeverri first made 11 appearances across the Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League for Bayer Leverkusen. He then moved to Girona in January, recording one goal and one assist in 16 LaLiga appearances.
A reputation built with Argentina
Much of the excitement surrounding Echeverri comes from his performances for Argentina’s youth national teams. At the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup, he scored five goals and produced his most memorable performance with a hat trick in a 3-0 quarterfinal victory over Brazil.
He later captained Argentina at the 2025 South American U-20 Championship, scoring six times in nine appearances as his country finished runner-up.
That early talent prompted Daniel Brizuela, River Plate’s former head of recruitment and one of the scouts who discovered Echeverri as a child, to describe him in 2024 as having elements of both Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi. Importantly, that assessment was made long before his move to Benfica, rather than following the transfer.
A fresh opportunity at Benfica
In Lisbon, Echeverri will wear the No. 30 shirt and work under head coach Marco Silva. He has already joined first-team training at the Benfica Campus following his official presentation.
Benfica will compete in the Primeira Liga and UEFA Europa League this season. For Echeverri, the challenge is now to turn the potential displayed since his River Plate days into consistent performances in European soccer. At 20, Portugal becomes the latest stage in a career still searching for permanent consolidation at the highest level.
