Real Madrid have reached an agreement to sign 17-year-old forward Franco Mastantuono from River Plate for an initial fee of around $45 million, according to a club spokesperson who spoke to Reuters on Thursday.
Mastantuono made his first appearance for River Plate in January 2024 and is considered by local media as one of the brightest young talents in Argentine football.
Mastantuono, a skilled left-footed player, became a regular starter under coach Marcelo Gallardo and quickly turned into an important player for River Plate in Buenos Aires.
A club source told Reuters that the transfer deal is mostly done, with only a few final details left to be agreed on. The source did not share more information about the move.
After scoring a brilliant free kick in River Plate’s Superclasico victory over Boca Juniors in April, Mastantuono caught the eye of major European clubs like Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain.
According to local media, River Plate plans to keep Mastantuono on loan until December so he can finish playing in the Copa Libertadores.
Argentina’s national team coach, Lionel Scaloni, also recently gave Mastantuono his first call-up for World Cup qualifying matches against Chile and Colombia.
He might become the youngest player ever to play for Argentina’s senior national team.
