According to Marca, Mastantuno's pre-season training performance has surprised Mourinho, and he has a chance to stay in the first team.
The report states that Real Madrid has been training in Valdebebas for 11 days. Mourinho is still waiting for several players who participated in national team matches to return, but in the early stages of pre-season preparation, he has had time to draw some conclusions based on the existing squad. This period is particularly important for some players whose performance was below expectations last season, who were questioned, and who now need to fight for their future.
Among these players, Mastantuno has gradually gained an advantage.
He is currently one of the players who has most surprised Real Madrid coach Mourinho. Mourinho still has a lot of work to do, whether it's determining the final squad or developing the team's tactics, further observation is needed. Real Madrid will still have players leaving this summer, and the possibility of continuing to sign new players cannot be ruled out, but Mastantuno already knows that at least he has the opportunity to stay in the first team based on his performance.
In fact, what Mourinho is seeing now, Xabi Alonso had already noticed, and even Arbeloa had made similar judgments.
Mastantuno was one of Real Madrid's most anticipated new signings last season. Alonso was the coach chosen by the team at the time, and one of his clear decisions was to have the Argentine play on the right wing. Mastantuno was almost always a starter until he suffered a pubic injury in November last year. After that, his playing time began to gradually decrease.
Arbeloa also gave Mastantuno opportunities after taking office. The Argentine started in the Copa del Rey against Albacete, and also started in Arbeloa's Champions League debut against Monaco, followed by starting in the match against Benfica.
The situation in the league was also similar, but as time went on, Mastantuno's playing opportunities also gradually decreased. Then, he was suspended for two games after receiving a red card in injury time against Getafe. The former River Plate player never found his place and eventually gradually lost confidence. Then, the World Cup dealt him another blow.
Mastantuno joined Real Madrid from River Plate for a transfer fee of approximately 60 million euros. At the time, he was considered one of the most promising young players in football, and even seen as an important future prospect for the Argentine national team. However, due to inconsistent performance last season, he ultimately missed out on the World Cup.
For Mourinho, just as Alonso had judged previously, Mastantuno's ability to maintain game intensity and press high is very valuable.
Now, Mourinho's task is to help this Argentine player find comfort and confidence, and truly show that he has the talent to play for Real Madrid.
If this ultimately cannot be achieved, Real Madrid has already considered loaning out Mastantuno, just as Endrick was handled last season. Endrick was loaned to Lyon last season, and according to the current plan, he will return this season and be guided by Mourinho.
Real Madrid is not considering completely giving up on this former River Plate player. The club knows that for such a young player, the first year of adaptation after joining Europe is not easy.
Therefore, it is not ruled out that Mastantuno may be loaned out in the future. Premier League clubs and Serie A teams could be potential suitors, and he could also continue to stay in La Liga. Currently, there are reports from La Liga of interest from Villarreal and Real Sociedad.
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