Nobody expected it, at least not so early, but from Argentina they have been clear: Franco Mastantuono will be a new player for Real Madrid. This is the information provided by journalist Tano Santarsiero, indicating that the River Plate footballer will land at Santiago Bernabéu in January 2026, in a few months.
At the moment, Madrid-Barcelona is working to verify this news. What is clear is that, if Mastantuono ends up wearing Madrid's jersey, it will be through the payment of his release clause. River Plate has been clear with all interested parties, demanding the 45 million euros stipulated in his contract.
At 17 years old, he is one of the most sought-after players on the planet, having sparked the interest of several major European teams. Among them is Real Madrid, which has been following him for some time and has extensive reports. When it seemed closest, everything fell apart due to the high demands of his agent, leaving the move on hold awaiting new developments.
Mastantuono Has Always Desired Real Madrid
In any case, one thing has been clear all along: what Mastantuono has prioritized is wearing Real Madrid's jersey. When everything seemed to have fallen through and various reports linked him to other clubs, he decided to wait. He gave and gives priority to playing at Santiago Bernabéu, as this has been his childhood dream.
It remains to be seen what will happen, with reports in Argentina claiming that everything is set for Mastantuono to play for Real Madrid. What seems clear is that Santiago Solari, his main supporter in the Spanish capital, would have succeeded if this is true.
For some time, Solari has been pushing Florentino Pérez to take a step forward and finalize the signing of Franco Mastantuono. There have been many conversations with his entourage and River Plate. What the president of Real Madrid has always tried to do is lower the price of his release clause, or spread the total of those 45 million in various payments.
We will have to wait for more developments, but one thing is clear: Mastantuono is of interest and has a strong chance of playing for Real Madrid. From Argentina, they are clear and consider it definitively closed.