Atletico Madrid have set their sights on one of the South America’s brightest talents, but signing him will not be easy – and not only because Manchester City are also said to be sniffing around.
Last week, it was reported that Atleti have registered their interest in Franco Mastantuono. The teenage attacker had been closely followed by city rivals Real Madrid until a few months ago, although they ended their pursuit – and this allowed Los Colchoneros to take a step towards bringing the exciting talent to the Metropolitano.
However, signing Mastantuono will not be easy, as River Plate have no intention of letting their prized youngster leave. As communicated by journalist Sebastián Srur (via MD), there are no plans for the Argentine side to negotiate with any clubs that come in for the 17-year-old.
“I don’t see it prospering, beyond the fact that there were people from the Madrid team at the Monumental on Saturday. I see it almost impossible to do it, especially because of the value of the clause: €45m.”
Atleti will be on the lookout for an attacking and creative player in the event of Antoine Griezmann’s departure in the summer, which does look relatively likely at the moment. They are prepared to commit big money to securing a replacement, and while Alex Baena is a leading target, Mastantuono could be the perfect addition for now and the future.
Atleti would surely have an advantage over the likes of Man City in that they have a very strong Argentine contingent in the first team squad, as well as Diego Simeone himself as head coach. However, it would be a gamble to commit €45m on a 17-year-old attacker, even if he does have a lot of potential.
