Real Madrid announce signing of wonderkid Franco Mastantuono from River Plate

Los Blancos have agreed to a deal worth €45m for the highly rated 17-year-old

Real Madrid have announced the signing of 17-year-old Argentina prospect Franco Mastantuono in a deal worth around €45m.

The attacking midfielder will join Los Blancos from Argentinian side River Plate on 14 August – when he turns 18 – after the two clubs agreed on a deal to let him play for River during the upcoming Club World Cup.

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Mastantuono agreed to a six-year deal at the Bernabeu, with Madrid staving off interest from Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Chelsea to win the youngster’s signature. River had aimed to keep him at the club until the end of 2025 – after the end of their domestic season – but have now reached an agreement with the European giants.

Mastantuono has 10 goals and seven assists in all competitions with River Plate across 61 appearances, and made his Argentina debut in the 1-0 win over Chile on 6 June, becoming the youngest ever player to feature for the national side.

A statement on the Real Madrid website said that Mastantuono “will be a Real Madrid player for the next six seasons, from 14 August 2025 until 30 June 2031”.

“Mastantuono developed in River’s youth academy between 2019 and 2024, and was a member of the first-team squad last season. In February 2024, he became the youngest ever goalscorer in River Plate history.

Mastantuono recently became the youngest ever player to make his Argentina debut (Getty)

“At 17 years old, he is also the youngest ever player to play for the Argentina national team in an official match,” added the statement.

Mastantuono will play his last games for Los Millionarios during the upcoming Club World Cup, with the Argentinian club starting the tournament with a match against Japanese side Urawa Red Diamonds on 17 June.

Madrid, who are among the favourites to win the first edition of the new competition, face Al-Hilal in their tournament opener on 18 June.

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