Being one of the biggest sources of footballing talent, FC Barcelona remain attentive to the youngsters playing and shining in South America. After having signed Vitor Roque in the last summer transfer window, the Catalans are now keeping their eyes on some other talents from this part of the world.
One such talent who has attracted the attention of Barcelona for some time now is the youngster Franco Mastantuono, who currently plays for the Argentine club River Plate, but is being followed by a host of big European clubs.
As things stand, Barcelona’s biggest rivals, Real Madrid, have taken the lead in the race to sign the promising midfielder, and want to close his signing in the coming weeks.
However, according to SPORT, Barcelona are still hopeful of signing him, and want him not to commit to the Madrid side so he can stay at River Plate till the next year, when the Catalans will hopefully have a better chance of getting him.
Scouts from the Blaugrana club had Mastantuono in their sights for several years even before he exploded at River Plate. The Catalans are clear that the youngster is a player who can achieve great heights in the future, and while no formal steps have been taken to sign him, Barcelona are still waiting to see how his situation evolves.
It is clear to see why Barcelona and other big European clubs are so interested in the youngster. He has already established himself as a starter at a club as big as River Plate, and his Italian passport also means that these sides will not have to wait till he turns 18 years of age to be able to sign him.
However, the Argentines themselves are aware of the situation, and recently renewed Mastantuono’s contract to increase his release clause to €50 million. They are also not in a mood to negotiate for the midfielder, as they believe his value can rise even further in the future.
For Barcelona, the best hope of getting the player remains his continuation at River Plate for at least another season, which will allow the Catalans to get their economy in order and make a bid for him in the 2025 summer transfer window.
