Real Madrid Outmaneuvers Barcelona in Pursuit of Mastantuono

The Real Madrid has surged ahead in the race for Franco Mastantuono, the 16-year-old River Plate prodigy, leaving Barcelona trailing behind. Exploiting Barcelona’s financial constraints, Real Madrid has held two meetings with River Plate to lay the groundwork for the acquisition of the promising ‘number 10’.

Juni Calafat, Real Madrid’s head of scouting, spearheaded the initial negotiations during his recent trip to Buenos Aires, where he personally scouted Mastantuono. While Florentino Pérez’s official offer is yet to materialize, the Madrid hierarchy, including José Ángel Sánchez, the club’s general director, has signaled their keen interest in securing the Argentine wonderkid’s services.

In contrast, other European giants like Manchester City and Chelsea have only made tentative inquiries, leaving Real Madrid as the sole contender actively engaging with River Plate.

For Barcelona, this development comes as a setback. With limited financial flexibility and priorities set on financial stability, the club is unable to compete in the bidding war for a talent of Mastantuono’s caliber. While River Plate’s recent decision to increase his release clause to €45 million (rising to €50 million in the final ten days of each transfer window) bought some time for Barcelona, Real Madrid’s aggressive pursuit has thrown a wrench into their plans.

Real Madrid’s strategy hinges on leveraging Barcelona’s financial struggles to expedite Mastantuono’s transfer. The Madrid side envisions the youngster continuing his development at River Plate until he turns 18, despite his Italian passport granting him the freedom to move to European football at any time.

In this scenario, Mastantuono’s arrival at the revamped Spotify Camp Nou hinges on his determination, patience, and willingness to wait (possibly for several months) until Barcelona can muster the financial resources to compete. Given his playing style, which aligns more with Barcelona’s philosophy than Real Madrid’s, Mastantuono might ultimately prefer a move to Catalonia.