Real Madrid officially unveiled Argentine winger Franco Mastantuono on his 18th birthday, completing a $74.1 million transfer from River Plate that makes him the most expensive Argentine player sale in history.
Madrid beat Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United for Mastantuono\'s signature. Chief scout Juni Calafat and new head coach Xabi Alonso played pivotal roles in securing the deal, sources told The Athletic.
Calafat, who orchestrated Madrid\'s successful signings of Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo, identified Mastantuono in late 2022 during a youth tournament in Argentina. The Brazilian-Spanish scout\'s relationship-building approach proved crucial in winning over the player\'s camp.
Madrid\'s concrete interest began in April 2023 when Mastantuono made his River Plate senior debut at 16. The versatile attacker can play right wing or as a number 10, recording impressive performances in Copa Libertadores competition.
River Plate initially demanded Mastantuono\'s $62 million release clause be met in full. The Argentine club received $62 million while Madrid paid an additional $12.1 million in taxes and fees, bringing the total cost to $74.1 million.
A phone call from newly-appointed coach Alonso became the decisive factor in Mastantuono choosing Madrid over PSG\'s strong pursuit. Luis Enrique had personally called the teenager to convince him to join the French champions.
\"When we really went after him, the boy just wanted to come. For a boy of his age to be called by the coach of Real Madrid and told how important he will be for him,\" a Real Madrid source said.
Mastantuono joined Madrid on August 14 after emotional scenes at the Club World Cup where River Plate was eliminated. He could feature as a winger under Alonso\'s system, potentially allowing Arda Guler to move into midfield.
\"All players can seem expensive and cheap, depending on who\'s valuing the cases, but eventually the pitch values them. Vinicius, Rodrygo… all of them could seem expensive because of their age,\" according to a source.