Manchester City Loan Watch: Youngster making every minute count – €31m deal now in sight

Benfica have reportedly decided to exercise their €31m purchase option on Manchester City loanee Echeverri, who has impressed since arriving in Portugal.

Manchester City appear set to complete a permanent sale of Claudio Echeverri to Benfica after the 20-year-old Argentine has impressed during his loan spell in Portugal.

Echeverri struggled during previous loans at Bayer Leverkusen and Girona but has found his form at Benfica. Despite playing just 267 minutes across six appearances, he has made a significant impact, assisting in several goals and winning a penalty in Monday's 1-0 victory over Alverca. Manager Marco Silva praised his development, saying: "He arrived later than the others and has been improving. He gave the team what it needed and is clearly beginning to understand everything we want from him."

According to Correio da Manhã, Benfica's board have decided to activate their purchase option, which is valued at €21m fixed plus €10m in potential bonuses, totalling €31m. The club can exercise the clause at any point during the loan and are already working towards completing the deal. Jornal de Notícias suggests Benfica may wait until the end of the season, but either way the permanent move appears increasingly likely.