Claudio Echeverri has arrived at Manchester City – what will he add and when might he play?

Manchester City made a fuss of Claudio Echeverri’s arrival at the club. “In the end, we have long weeks to train and prepare well, everyone has to focus.” A few days earlier, Guardiola had said the youngster could feature “maybe for the end of the season, maybe for the World Cup”, referring to the inaugural Club World Cup this summer, so first-team football is a possibility, but there is going to be a patient approach from his new club. Reis and Echeverri actually captained their countries at that Under-17 World Cup in 2023 and sources say the Brazilian was signed with the intention of becoming a regular option for City in the coming years, albeit after an initial period of adaptation and a need to develop physically. But there is an acknowledgement that he will need time to fully break into the City team despite their woes this season because of his relative inexperience and because Guardiola generally experiments far less after February — something he has already alluded to when discussing the ‘finals’ coming up. City are pushing for a top-four finish rather than the title this season and perhaps those lower standards might present an opportunity for Echeverri, but it might not be until the more experimental Club World Cup setting that their latest arrival can showcase his talents.