Echeverri arrived in Lisbon to finalise the agreement with Benfica, choosing the club following positive recommendations from his Manchester City teammates Rúben Dias and Bernardo Silva, both of whom previously played for the Portuguese outfit. According to reports from the publication A Bola, the loan deal includes a clause that gives the Portuguese club an option to buy the young prospect permanently at the conclusion of the loan period.

The move marks another chapter in Echeverri’s European career as he looks to establish himself at senior level. Since joining Manchester City from River Plate, he completed short-term loan stints with Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga and Girona FC in La Liga. However, he struggled to secure a spot in the starting eleven at all three clubs, often finding himself confined to the substitutes’ bench. At Benfica, he is expected to play a central role in head coach Marco Silva’s tactical system, where he has been handed the prestigious number 10 shirt.

Echeverri first captured international attention through his outstanding performances for Argentina’s Under-17 national team. He finished as joint top scorer in the 2023 South American U-17 Championship, registering five goals and three assists. Later that year, at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Indonesia, he delivered a headline-grabbing performance by scoring a memorable hat-trick against rivals Brazil in the quarter-finals. Having endured extended spells on the sidelines across his previous destinations, the young midfielder now aims to lock down a regular starting place and fulfil his promise on the European stage.