Real Madrid make big decision on River Plate starlet Franco Mastantuono

Mastantuono, 17, is expected to attract firm bids in the summer, with several major European clubs tracking the player.

River Plate starlet Franco Mastantuono is attracting interest from a host of major European suitors, but AS understands that the teenager is not expected to leave the Argentinian club during the January transfer window.

Mastontuono, 17, is being tracked by powerhouses including Premier League trio Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United, Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain, Italians AC Milan and Inter Milan, and LaLiga’s Barcelona.

Real Madrid shift focus away from Mastontuono

Spanish and European champions Real Madrid have also shown an interest in Mastontuono, who made his first-team debut for River as a 16-year-old in January 2024.

Indeed, Los Blancos were previously leading the charge for the attacker, but in recent weeks are believed to have turned their attentions elsewhere. The youngster is no longer thought to be a priority for Santiago Solari, Madrid’s director of football.

Firm Mastontuono approaches expected in the summer

While River are anticipating a quiet January when it comes to Mastontuono’s future, far greater movement is expected in the European off-season.

“There is nothing concrete at the moment and that doesn’t look like changing this winter,” a well-connected source told AS. “We’ll have to wait until the summer. A lot of clubs have set discussions in motion, but there’s nothing firm yet.”

How much would Mastontuono cost?

A significant stumbling block to a potential deal for Mastontuono appears to be River’s valuation of the player. Under contract until 2026, the player has a release clause set at $45 million, a figure that interested clubs are balking at shelling out up front.

But River, a club that typically proves a tough negotiator, have so far rebuffed all informal offers below Mastontuono’s full buy-out fee.

Against this backdrop, summer suitors are likely to try to agree a payment plan with the Buenos Aires club: they will commit to meeting his release clause only if part of the fee takes the form of performance-based add-ons. This would replicate the approach adopted by Madrid when they sealed the signing of Endrick Felipe from Brazilian club Palmeiras in December 2022.

A player who is set to be one of the main attractions at this year’s South American Under-20 Championship in Venezuela, Mastontuono has made 41 first-team appearances for River, scoring three goals and supplying three assists.

Due to turn 18 on August 14, the player holds a Spanish passport. This boosts his attractiveness to buying clubs based in the European Union, as he would not take up one of the team’s limited number of permitted non-EU spots.