Franco Mastantuono will play at Real Madrid. River Plate's midfielder had his €45m release fee paid in full by the Spanish club at 17 years of age. It is reported by Argentine daily Olé and it was dealt with Juni Calafat, the club's scouting department chief, in a direct manner. PSG and European teams were keeping an eye on the negotiation, with PSG trying but not willing to pay in full.
The Argentinian midfielder from the city of Azul is already in search of a place to stay in Madrid. He will be under contract until June 2031. When Mastantuono will arrive at the Spanish club is still to be agreed upon by the two teams. Real would prefer him from August 15th, a day after turning 18 years old. River would prefer to keep him until December. In either eventuality, the young player will be playing in the Club World Cup in River Plate's colors. That is a certainty.
Mastantuono is already a holder of an Italian passport, but according to current rules, he cannot begin to play European soccer until age 18. Until that time, he will carry on playing under normal standards in Argentina.
Technical profile and typical figures
He is River Plate's leading goalscorer in this campaign with seven goals and four assists. A midfielder playmaker with box runs, Mastantuono is good at set pieces and likes to be seen where things are happening. He is not an attention-grabber stat player but by the fact that he makes an entrance in those moments. He has been consistent and efficient on the field despite his young age. He made his debut for the senior national team in a competitive game last Thursday. He was the youngest player ever to represent his country in the competitive matches. That in itself expresses a lot about the extent of the faith the coaches possess in him.
On top of it, he is being referred to by most of the people as the “new Messi.” Local media likes creating this kind of expectation. To be the “new Messi” is a responsibility not many can handle. And the fact is that he, or any player, does not require that right now.
Here we've got a young talent with good qualities, a player we've watched for a couple of months and a player who will now receive a true chance to develop in one of the world's major clubs.
Internal request
The signing wasn't a one-off. Real Madrid kept an eye on the player for a span of about two years. In addition, Mastantuono had been recommended internally by professionals like Xabi Alonso, who keeps an eye on midfielders that might be beneficial to the club in the near term.
Real Madrid are also getting ready for a cycle without Luka Modric, whose career is reaching its latter stages. The club require a renewed kit and believe the Argentine may prove to be a player constructed over time, a part of a well-planned project.