20-Year-Old Echeverri Joins Benfica on Fourth Loan Spell, Manchester City Covering Full Salary

On September 2, 2026, Portuguese club Benfica officially announced that 20-year-old Argentine attacking midfielder Echeverri had joined from Manchester City on loan, with the deal covering the entire 2026-27 season and including a purchase option.

The most notable aspect of this deal is that it marks the player's fourth loan spell, and Manchester City used the later Portuguese transfer deadline rules after the transfer window closed to find a playing pathway for the former River Plate talent that had previously been outside public attention.

The deal went through after nearly 48 hours of intensive negotiations before and after the final agreement was reached.

As early as August 31, transfer journalist Longo first reported that Echeverri was close to joining Benfica. Schira, Romano and several other reliable transfer reporters later confirmed the news. At the time, many believed the announcement would arrive quickly, but the final obstacle only emerged at the last moment: Benfica needed to clear space in the squad and free up a registration spot before completing the loan.

Echeverri's own stance became a key factor in accelerating negotiations. Although Real Betis, Sheffield United and even his former club River Plate also showed interest during the same period, he consistently regarded Benfica as his preferred destination.

Many fans do not know that this was not Benfica's first attempt to sign Echeverri.

When he was beginning to make an impression in River Plate's first team, Benfica had already made an €18.5 million offer for him, but the deal was not completed because of budget differences.

Echeverri's final decision to move to Lisbon was also directly related to two Manchester City teammates who had previously played for Benfica: Ruben Dias and Bernardo Silva both gave positive feedback during his decision-making process. Dias described Benfica's club size, stadium atmosphere and fan culture, while Silva, as his City teammate, used his own experience to show that the path from Benfica to top leagues was completely viable.

Echeverri's European journey began in early 2024.

In January 2024, Manchester City officially signed Echeverri from River Plate for a transfer fee of €18.5 million. He was still under 18 at the time, but City did not immediately bring him to the Premier League and instead allowed him to remain at River Plate on loan for an entire year.

During that period, he won the Argentine league title and Super Cup with the team. He made 42 appearances and scored four goals in all competitions over the year, and he was also selected for Argentina's U23 national team at the Paris Olympics, making three appearances and scoring one goal.

It was not until early 2025 that he officially arrived in England to report to Manchester City. Under Guardiola, he received limited opportunities and did not make his first-team debut for City until May 17, 2025, when he came on as a substitute in the 76th minute of the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace. For the remainder of the 2024-25 season, he made only two more appearances, in the Premier League and the Club World Cup respectively.

In the 2025-26 season, Manchester City loaned him to Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, hoping he would gain regular playing time in Germany.

However, by last December he had made only 11 total appearances for Leverkusen across the Bundesliga and Champions League, and he never truly became part of the team's main rotation.

After the winter transfer window opened, he was loaned again to La Liga side Girona, where he recorded one goal and one assist in 16 La Liga matches, still failing to deliver the performances expected by outside observers.

After two consecutive loans without establishing himself, Manchester City realized that the 20-year-old Echeverri no longer needed only limited appearances at a major club, but rather a team that could provide him with a stable starting role and allow him to freely express his attacking midfield qualities within its system.

According to the currently disclosed framework of the deal, Benfica have a purchase option, Manchester City have also included a buy-back clause, and City will cover the player's full salary during the loan period.

Manchester City placed no financial obstacles in front of Benfica. The only request was for Echeverri to receive continuous playing time in Portugal's top flight.

Benfica currently have two Argentine players in the squad, Prestianni and Barrenechea. Echeverri and Prestianni were teammates in Argentina's U17 national team, and their familiarity should help him save time adapting to the new league.

After officially signing, Echeverri took Benfica's No. 30 shirt. In an interview with the club's television channel, he stated his season goal was to win every trophy the club deserves together with the team.

In recent years, Benfica have been an important stepping stone for South American young players entering Europe. Many Argentine players have increased their value there before moving successfully to top teams in Europe's major leagues.

For Echeverri, who has already experienced three loan moves, this Portuguese adventure is his final opportunity to prove he is not a player whose early promise has faded. The 2026-27 Primeira Liga season and Europa League campaign will be where he delivers his answer.

Should the article's reported deal details of a €21 million purchase option and €50 million buy-back clause be separated out and organized into a shorter piece focusing on the transfer rules breakdown?