Manchester City have reportedly drawn up plans to integrate Claudio Echeverri into the squad in the new year.

Echeverri, who has been dubbed the next Lionel Messi, signed for Man City from River Plate in the January transfer window, agreeing a four-and-a-half-year deal until the summer of 2028.

The Premier League champions paid an initial £12.5m, which could rise to £21.7m, before they agreed to loan Echeverri back to River Plate until January 2025.

Echeverri has enjoyed plenty of game time in 2024, having registered four goals and six assists in 40 competitive appearances.

However, Echeverri is coming to the end of his loan spell with the Argentine club, with River Plate set to face Racing Club in their final match of the season this weekend.

Man City to integrate next Lionel Messi into squad

According to The Mirror, Man City have made a U-turn on their plans for Echeverri ahead of his arrival in the new year.

The report claims that the Citizens were preparing to send the 18-year-old on loan to sister club Girona to help him adapt to European football.

However, Pep Guardiola is seemingly keen to integrate Echeverri into the first-team setup, having seen his attacking options hampered by injury in the first half of the campaign.

Kevin De Bruyne has been restricted to just six Premier League starts this season, while Phil Foden and Jack Grealish have also struggled with fitness issues.

Where could Echeverri fit in at Man City?

With Echeverri still in the early stages of his career, he is not expected to be thrust straight into Guardiola's starting lineup.

However, he could add greater depth to Guardiola's attacking options, which also include Savinho, Jeremy Doku and James McAtee in addition to De Bruyne, Foden and Grealish.

Echeverri tends to operate as an attacking midfielder, meaning that he could provide Guardiola with an option to bring a number 10 off the bench to offer support to Erling Haaland.

A place in the Man City squad could open up if McAtee is moved on in January after making just eight competitive appearances this season.

The Citizens will hope that Echeverri could help Man City spark an upturn in fortunes after experiencing a difficult campaign, with Guardiola's side currently sitting in fourth place and eight points adrift of Premier League leaders Liverpool. body check tags ::