Franco Mastantuono is merely 17 yet is splashing off the pitch as a seasoned pro. Real Madrid have dispatched an emissary to Buenos Aires to talk to River Plate and try and see the attacking midfielder signed up before Paris Saint-Germain finalize a transfer. There is said to be a release clause of 45 million euros, and the game of cat and mouse between Spanish and French giants has become a desperate one.
Los Blancos are acting swiftly, in response to PSG's latest push in the closing weeks. Los Blancos have been following Mastantuono for two years and acted when they realized the French got ahead. Nothing is yet final, but the move is swift and decisive. The directive is to sign the player as soon as possible.
River tries to maintain a balance in everything, but the call-up disrupts this
Coach Lionel Scaloni summoned Mastantuono for Chile and Colombia matches, which will be in the June FIFA window. The call surprised the marketplace. When a 17-year-old is summoned to Argentina's senior team, demand is quadrupled. His value increases immediately. There is more competition. And River has more bargaining power.
The call-up develops the player, one who, although youthful, is a regular for one of the South American giants. At River, he is the top scorer in this season with seven goals and four assists. His trademark is to cut in on his favored left foot — his main weapon, as a right-sided attacking midfielder.
Despite the exit clause, River Plate is trying to stall. Mastantuono's chances of playing in Europe will only materialize when he turns 18, in August of 2025. Until that time, it is expected that he will remain at the Argentinian team, although the transfer is done. The team is aware that they have a gem in their grasp but that they will not be able to hold on to him for long.
River is looking to cash in on the rise in his value, use the call-up period as a window of exposure, and try to get as much out of an inevitable negotiation as possible. The board is expecting pressure to build and an offer over the release clause in the tug-of-war between PSG and Real. That is the reason they are going slowly.
The comparison to Messi looms, but also beckons
Mastantuono has been compared to Lionel Messi by some Argentine experts and by parts of the international media. Not in a technically comparable manner, certainly, but in that they are of the same type: a left-footer, a talent, a passer, a finisher. It is a comparison that holds some truth, carries some weight, and has some profile.
And that speaks to European clubs. No player wants to be the next Messi, and no team wants to bet on false hope. And that is what is drawing in clubs like Real Madrid, PSG, and even some other European giants with big names who are also scouting the situation, including Barcelona and some Premier League clubs.