CLAUDIO ECHEVERRI — Player Analysis
It seems River Plate never stop producing top talent. And Claudio Echeverri is the latest prodigy to emerge from the Millionarios’ academy.
Known as ‘El Diablito’, The Little Devil, Claudio Jeremias Echeverri was born in January 2006 and joined the River Plate academy in 2017. He made his professional debut in June 2023, immediately providing an assist, and soon after grabbed the world’s attention with amazing performances in the U17s World Championship, racking up 5 goals and 1 assist in 7 matches, while captaining Argentina and leading them to a 4th place finish. Since then, he has become a regular starter for the Millionarios with 25 senior matches to his name so far and is already sold to Manchester City, set to follow fellow River Plate graduate Julián Alvárez’s footsteps by the end of the year.
Though also capable of playing as a winger, Echeverri is essentially a number 10 and has been playing behind the strikers in River’s 4–3–1–2 setup. His league numbers show a very prolific creator and progresses.
Let’s break down his game.
But first a quick disclaimer about the data. It’s all from Opta via FBRef. However, Argentina has a peculiar league system, with two different tournaments played across the calendar year. The first is the Copa de la Liga Profesional, with the 28 teams separated into two groups followed by knockout rounds. River topped their group but were eliminated by Boca in the quarter-finals. The second is the Liga Profesional de Fútbal which follows the classic league format. It’s barely started, with only two rounds played so far. So, I’m using the former for this piece.
PROGRESSOR
Well, one of the things that stands out about Echeverri is how much he contributes to River’s ball progression. And he’s quite a complete progressor of the ball, with carries and passes, both as the passer and as the receiver. His instinct to move the ball forward is noticeable, with an aggressive attitude in possession, always keen to accelerate the game and take it forward.
In an interview on the FIFA website, he was asked about his biggest strength, and his answer was:
“I think it could be my speed, because I’m very fast; I try to get on the ball quickly and I immediately get forward.”
A behaviour that is highlighted when you see that 28.72% of his touches are progressive actions, meaning roughly one-third of his touches are composed of progressive passes, progressive carries and progressive pass receptions. And that goes hand in hand with River’s intense fast-paced style, combining high press and quick progression.
Besides, his 57.65 passes attempted, 72.88 touches and 39.01 touches in the attacking third per 90 in the Copa de la Liga, ranked at the 92nd, 97th and 97th percentiles respectively among positional peers, show a very active player. Of course, the numbers are elevated by the fact that River dominate most games and tend to control possession. In fact, they were the team with the highest average possession in the league, 62.6%, averaging 548.9 passes per match. Still, watching him play, you see a player who is eager to get involved. And whose linkup play is quite solid.
Speaking of passes, this is how El Diablito compares to other attacking midfielders and wingers with at least 300 minutes played in the Copa de La Liga (this is the same sample used for all other comparisons):
With 7.99 progressive passes and 6.28 passes into the final third per 90, he is in the top 15 for both metrics, and the same goes for his 3.81 progressive carries and 3.23 carries into the final third per 90, doing so while displaying exceptional control of the ball. Not to mention his pace and blistering acceleration, able to exploit open spaces and offer great contributions in transitions.
Another important aspect of ball progression and passing, and that is often overlooked, is who is at the receiving end of passes and how they got there. And Echeverri seems to be always there.
Most remarkable when positioned between the lines, bypassing the opposition’s defensive structure, he executes perfect receptions and neat half-turns. But he goes beyond, constantly moving and roaming all around the attacking half, though showing a slight preference to occupy the left side of the pitch, he is always looking to become available for passes and often asking for the ball. Hence, he tends to enjoy a free role, one that allows him to make better use of his mobility.
Besides, the intelligence of his movement must not be overlooked. He knows when and where to move, frequently creating passing lanes. And that makes him a huge outlet for River. As shown below, he is among the players with the most passes (54.8, 98th percentile) and progressive passes received (9.13, 81st) per 90 in his position.
An accomplished all-round progressor of the ball, El Diablito’s prowess becomes more striking when you combine progressive passes, passes received and carries into a single metric. With 20.93 progressive actions per 90, he ranked third in the Copa de la Liga:
CREATOR
Onto a more celebrated part of Echeverri’s game: chance creation. With 7.41 shot-creating actions per 90, he was the second-best-ranked attacking-midfielder/winger in the league, with a good distance to the third:
A proficient playmaker, he’s River’s creative hub, he connects all attacking actions. With a great vision to spot teammates and capable of precise line-breaking passes and quick passing combinations in the final third, his quality passing generates threat galore. With 4.19 shot-creating live-ball passes per 90, he featured in the 96th percentile.
Beyond his top technique to execute difficult passes, his cognitive merits should not be overlooked. El Diablito boasts quick reactions and good decision-making on the ball. And he doesn’t tend to rush to make a decision, calm enough to wait for the best moment to release the ball, even under pressure, which is impressive for an eighteen-year-old with twenty-something senior matches under his belt.
Accomplished as he is on the ball, he’s already responsible for many of River’s set-pieces. Though often trying his luck shooting from free kicks, his best output has come as a provider, with two corner kick assists so far.
But what gets more hyped and takes fans off their seats is his dribbling. I briefly touched on carrying prowess while talking about ball progression, so let’s dig a bit deeper here.
As you can see below, he’s a clear outlier in this aspect. With 5.71 successful dribbles and 1.52 shot-creating dribbles per 90, he’s head and shoulders above the rest:
He achieved this while boasting a dribble success percentage of 68.2%, which puts him in the 97th percentile among positional peers in the Copa de la Liga. With a low centre of gravity and elite technique, often using both feet, besides very quick feet and great agility, Echeverri is also capable of quickly changing directions and sudden accelerations. This package makes him a nightmare for defenders, with top press resistance and ball retention, he evades markers with ease.
Combine these qualities with the aforementioned direct profile and you have a huge and frequent threat coming at opposing defences.
Bold and hungry to take the initiative, he is always keen to take on opponents, and very hard to beat, except maybe for a lack of physicality. Lean and not too tall, he often struggles with physical challenges from stronger opponents. Which is not really a surprise considering his age and senior game time, and should not take long to improve. However, it’s clearly a must, if he is to thrive in England from next year 2025 onwards.
And of course, as a frequent and efficient dribbler, he tends to draw fouls as well. In the Copa de la Liga he suffered an average 3.32 fouls per 90, ranked in the 93rd percentile, indirectly creating chances from set pieces, many of which were taken by him.
All this makes Echeverri a protagonist for one of South America’s greatest clubs despite his tender age. Always confident and seemingly unaffected by pressure, he has led his teams to wins and comebacks as their main creator.
GOALSCORER
El Diablito’s three senior goals to his name may not impress, nor do they disappoint though. What matters is that he is a capable goalscorer, as he has proved in the recent U17 World Championship with five goals in seven matches, leading Argentina to the semifinals.
He is a solid and composed finisher, with good technique and hunger to contribute. Averaging 3.23 shots and 1.33 shots on target per 90, he ranked in the 83rd and 93rd percentiles respectively in the Copa de la Liga.
But when and from where does he shoot? With a 21.5-metre average shot distance, he’s a capable shooter from outside of the box, often taking his chances from distance, albeit more of a precise placer than a hard hitter. However, it’s inside it that he shines brighter.
With 3.62 touches inside the penalty area per 90 (70th percentile), he’s not shy to get in there to finish. Be it with deep runs, to receive cutbacks, or during quick passing combinations, he is adept at dismarking himself, also calm and composed when facing the keeper. But surely his best quality in this department is creating space to finish with dribbles, frequently beating an opponent and shooting, which may end up in magic moments:
Also, one should not forget he’s a free kick taker as well:
DEFENDER
Finally, one last aspect to discuss, his defending. Echeverri puts up the effort but there’s a need for improvement, especially considering his imminent move to Europe. He’s in the 82nd percentile for tackles in the attacking third but that’s mostly due to River’s high pressing style. Still, his will to press and contribute is a positive. Where there’s work to be done is his positioning and reading, besides the aforementioned physicality.
CONCLUSION
Well, Claudio Echeverri is a great prospect, with huge potential and immense talent, who seems destined for the top. Already one of the best attacking midfielders in South America, aged just eighteen, the future is bright for him.
A very dynamic player, with a direct style and loads of qualities in attack and progression, capable of creating magic, he is a pleasure to watch. There are important points to improve though, namely in defence, physicality and consistency, but they seem to be a matter of time.
One can expect El Diablito to keep tearing South American defences apart for the next months, before heading to Manchester. Although it’s still uncertain if he’s going to get immediately integrated into the City squad or get loaned out, his next steps are worth following.
