Mastantuono - the future Real star aiming to leave River on a high

BBC News

5 hours ago

He may be only 17 years old and heading to one of the world's grandest clubs in Real Madrid, but River Plate star Franco Mastantuono's path could have easily taken him on a different route to football.Real's incoming youngster once dreamed of becoming a YouTube star, while he was also a young maestro on the tennis court, travelling Argentina to play matches. What diverted him? He was just too good with the ball at his feet.River will receive 45m euros (£38.5m) for the attacking midfielder. However, the Argentine giants say Real's expenditure on Mastantuono – including taxes and payments elsewhere – totals 63.2m euros (£54m) in a record sale for the South American country's first division.He officially makes the switch to La Liga after turning 18 in August. That comes after the Club World Cup, where Mastantuono aims to leave River on a high.Following a bright start, and having won the player of the match award in his last outing against Monterrey, his next challenge is helping the Group E leaders seal qualification for the last 16 against Inter Milan on Thursday (02:00 BST)."Any player in the world dreams of playing for River Plate and Real Madrid," he told DAZN this week."I want to leave River Plate on a high note because it's given me everything and I'm very grateful. My focus is on River Plate and trying to win the tournament."
Waiting to demonstrate his qualities in Spain, the teenager, with one senior cap for Argentina, has already made an impression in his native land."Franco's passage through our club left an indelible mark." Roberto Binzuna, the president of Cemento Armado, where Mastantuono earned his stripes before joining River, tells BBC Sport. "Only time will decide how long it lives on in our memory."He's a sensational young man, with outstanding human and sporting characteristics, distinctive in whatever sport he played – an exceptional tennis player and an even better footballer."His presence always stands out over the other players, even the older ones, and he has an incredible shot on him."Indeed, Mastantuono's ability to strike the ball from range has caught the eye. Most notable was his free-kick against Superclasico rivals Boca Juniors in April, swept into the top corner from about 30 yards.That aside, the left-footer is agile, quickly shifting the ball one way and the other when dribbling. Such has been evident from the start."I remember he was restless behind the ball. But what I saw set him apart," says Marcelo Olariaga, the vice president of Club Atletico River Plate Azuleno, Mastantuono's first home. "Compared to the rest, he ran very lightly with the ball. But he always had it tied to his feet."Although the teenager often starts on the right wing, much of his impact comes in central positions.In River's first Club World Cup outing this summer, a 3-1 win against Urawa Red Diamonds, Mastantuono roamed inside and bent a pass to the left, eventually leading to Facundo Colidio's opening goal.As for the statistics, Mastantuono has featured 63 times for River, scoring 10 goals and assisting seven. At 16, he was the youngest to score for the Argentine giants with the famous red sash.Meanwhile, he is the youngest to feature competitively for Argentina's senior team, reaching that landmark against Chile earlier this month.
Mastantuono was born in Azul, a small city south of the bustling capital, Buenos Aires. He grew up in a normal area, with low houses and a square, where he enjoyed kickarounds."I remember Franquito as a young boy. His coach was his father, Cristian, and he went along with him," Olariaga says."He developed in the system with the luck of having his dad as a coach. A good cohort of players came through."Still, had football not taken over, he might have prioritised tennis – with those close to him aware of his skills while holding a racquet. The sport has helped shape Mastantuono's overall game."Through tennis, I've met a lot of people. Travelling around the country and competing in a sport where the mental aspect is so important has helped me grow as a footballer," Mastantuono said during an interview with Argentine outlet Olé in March.That mental fortitude helped him deal with the pressure of River's 85,000-plus seater Estadio Monumental, where the fans will miss his magic.He is, of course, not the only talent to roll off the River Plate conveyor belt. Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez, Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez, Manchester City's Claudio Echeverri, and Manuel Lanzini, formerly of West Ham, matured at the Buenos Aires club.Olariaga believes that Mastantuono is at least on a par with those individuals, with much owed to his mentality – a cornerstone for every Real player – alongside his technique."Franco wasn't always a leader," says Olariaga. "He was a great team-mate. All the boys who played with him tell you he impacted them through his personality because he encouraged them. He always took the team on his shoulders in the difficult moments."How he's noticeably grown, dazzling you day by day, if his father were to say: 'The kid's destiny is to play for Real Madrid - what do you think?' Then I think, yes - because of his personality."
Madrid awaits - 'there's a risk with everything'
If there's a barrier, it's that Real coach Xabi Alonso - not afraid to blood youth players - has a wealth of options in attack, and instead needs deeper-lying midfielders to replace Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.It was, however, Alonso who helped convince Mastantuono to choose Real over other top European clubs."The way he spoke to me was incredible," said the teenager. "I'm incredibly grateful for that. The conversation was very influential because having the manager want you is a significant vote of confidence for a player."Leaving a club like River Plate isn't easy. His words really motivated me to make that leap. What's happening to me is unique and I'm very grateful for football and for life."Mastantuono, will need to dislodge the likes of Rodrygo, Arda Guler and Brahim Díaz for minutes. But given he's still to turn 18, he has time to improve."His areas for improvement will probably be physical - to gain weight and strength - and his understanding of pressing without the ball, as the top-tier European teams do," argues Tom Nash, co-host of the River Pod podcast.Evaluating the deal, Eduardo Ferreira, a football agent with experience in the European and South American markets, says: "There's a risk with everything."The player possesses a talent level, already demonstrated on the pitch, that is above average for players his age, so they will prepare and keep developing him in a much better environment."Real Madrid has a methodology for developing talent to minimise risks and has a proven record, done over and over again."From the player's perspective, it's a fantastic opportunity because, even if he doesn't deliver what Real Madrid expects, he will have opportunities at other good European clubs."(Martin) Odegaard was not ready for Real Madrid. But he became a great player for another good club (Arsenal). Time will tell if he becomes a player of that level."