The weekend saw the latest Superclásico between River Plate and Boca Juniors, with the former winning the game 2-1.
Victory came partly thanks to 17-year-old Franco Mastantuono, with the River Plate wonderkid scoring a fantastic free-kick which will long stay in the memory.
Mastantuono doesn’t turn 18 until August and has already been linked with multiple huge clubs in Europe. Soy del Millo reports offers have come in from Manchester United, PSG and Real Madrid.
They don’t make it clear whether those are actual bids, or simply efforts to try and build the foundations of a deal. Either way, Manchester United and others will have to wait until at least the end of this calendar year if they’re to have any chance of signing the youngster.
River Plate are insistent he’s staying where he is for 2025, and the club’s general secretary Stefano Di Carlo is quoted as saying: “Mastantuono is staying at River Plate for the entire year, that’s a given.”
Manager Marcelo Gallardo wants that to be the case, and crucially it’s stated the player also wants to stay for the rest of this year. The league season in Argentina runs from January until December.
Mastantuono has a €45m buyout clause in a contract which lasts until December 2026. River Plate want to negotiate a new deal and increase that clause.
This transfer tussle may be a difficult one for Manchester United to win.