River Plate teenager Franco Mastantuono is attracting interest from top clubs around Europe – including Manchester United and Chelsea.
The 17-year-old attacking midfielder, considered among the most promising talents in Argentina, is being followed by a host of Premier League clubs.
Barcelona are also admirers of Mastantuono, while Atletico Madrid have already travelled to Buenos Aires to watch him live.
Mastantuono, who turns 18 in August, has a release clause of €45m (£38m), the highest-ever in the Argentinian club’s history, and his contract runs until 2026.
River president Jorge Brito is under no pressure to sell after overseeing a £46m profit for the club in last season’s financial results.
Mastantuono is a left-footed creative attacking midfielder
Mastantuono is just the latest top talent to emerge from River’s famed academy after Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez and Atletico’s Julian Alvarez, who were among six graduates from the club’s youth system in Argentina’s 2022 World Cup-winning squad.
City have since signed Claudio Echeverri from River following the success story of Alvarez and the 19-year-old is now training with Pep Guardiola’s squad, having been sent back on loan immediately after the deal was sealed.
Mastantuono, who became the club’s youngest goalscorer at just 16 years, five months and 25 days in February 2024, is set to play a key role for River at this summer’s expanded Club World Cup in Miami.
River’s Mas Monumental is expected to have a record attendance at this Sunday’s Superclasico
He is also set to star this Sunday when River host Boca Juniors in the Superclasico, widely regarded as one of the fiercest rivalries in world football.
A record attendance for a sporting event in Argentina is expected for the Argentinian league match after the renovation of Mas Monumental extended the capacity of River’s stadium to 85,018. River have an impressive record at home in the derby, losing just one of the last six iterations.
Mastantuono is no stranger to these big occasions, having already forged a pivotal role in River’s first-team since making his debut at the end of January 2024 to become the club’s third-youngest player.
The left-footed midfielder has three goals and two assists across 11 appearances in all competitions this season.
