Girona boss explains pressure on Echeverri – Manchester City youngster told to “flow”

Manchester City youngster Claudio Echeverri is already seeing the benefits of his move to Girona, and his manager has offered a revealing look at the pressure the Argentine carries.

The attacking midfielder arrived at Girona in the winter window after a frustrating spell at Bayer Leverkusen. The six months in Germany did not go to plan. Playing time was limited and opportunities were scarce. Pep Guardiola was not happy.

City Football Group was forced to terminate his loan at Leverkusen and send him to Spain. And the plan to keep moving the player around was heavily criticised by Argentine press. However, the situation has changed quickly in Spain.

Since joining Girona, the Manchester City player has already logged more minutes than he managed during his entire Leverkusen spell. He has also delivered immediate end product, recording a goal and an assist in his first appearances for the Catalan side.

Those early performances have reinforced the feeling that the switch could accelerate his development.

Míchel highlights pressure around City youngster

Girona manager Míchel Sánchez has now explained some of the challenges surrounding the 20-year-old. According to him, Echeverri arrived carrying significant expectations.

“If you watch him train, you realise he has raw talent,” Míchel said during a recent press conference. “But he’s a player who comes with a lot of weight on his shoulders – family pressure and professional pressure – and he’s only 20 years old.”

Despite that burden, the coach is convinced the ability is obvious. “The goal he scored is the kind of goal a top player scores. But he does that in training many times.”

Míchel has been working with the Manchester City youngster to simplify things mentally. The message is clear: stop trying to prove everything in every action.

“I told him: I know you have many responsibilities and your head wants to show a version of yourself so that everyone says you’re the player they think you are. But that will happen if you enjoy every play.”

Letting Echeverri play naturally

The Girona boss believes the key is allowing Echeverri’s natural game to emerge.

“If you let yourself go and flow, everything comes naturally. He shouldn’t dribble with the need for the dribble to work. He shouldn’t run with the need for that run to win the play.”

Instead, the instruction is simple. “He just needs to run, dribble and shoot while flowing.”

Míchel also pointed to the qualities that make the Manchester City player so dangerous. His ability to turn in tight spaces, attack defenders and create something unexpected stands out. He already praised him before.

“He has street football in him. He makes the difference in small spaces. He turns in a top way, brutally good, and we need that from him.”

The coach even shared what he told Echeverri after one recent performance.

“I told him when he came off the pitch: this is you. This is exactly you. I just want you to be on the pitch with this feeling of freedom – flowing and being yourself.”

Our take: Girona move is already working

From Manchester City’s perspective of his development, the early signs are encouraging.

Girona’s style, combined with the confidence shown by Míchel, appears to be giving Echeverri the platform he lacked in Germany. Minutes have increased quickly, and his influence on games is already growing.

According to data from FBref, Echeverri has already shown strong creative output in his early Girona appearances. Despite playing mostly from the bench, he is averaging close to 2 key passes per 90 minutes, along with over 3 progressive carries per 90, numbers that highlight his willingness to drive the ball forward and create chances.

Meanwhile, figures compiled by FootyStats also underline his attacking involvement. He is averaging more than one successful dribble per match and generating multiple shot-creating actions per 90 minutes, an indicator of his influence in the final third.

For a player still only 20 and adjusting to European football, those numbers reinforce what Girona’s staff are already seeing on the training pitch.

The change of environment appears to be unlocking the version of Echeverri that Manchester City believed they were signing – a creative attacker capable of producing decisive moments when given the freedom to play naturally.