Real Madrid mainstay has chances to return for Club World Cup following surgery

Franco Mastantuono continues to make waves with River Plate in Argentina, leading to strong interest from top clubs from Europe.

Real Madrid, for one, have been credited with an interest in the 17-year-old wonderkid for a long time now.

In fact, earlier today reports emerged claiming that Los Blancos’ director, Santiago Solari, is pushing the club to sign his compatriot from River Plate.

No relationship with Mastantuono’s agent

However, according to journalist Jose Felix Diaz, Real Madrid have broken off their relationship with Mastantuono’s agent a long time ago, making the likelihood of any deal a distant possibility.

The Spanish champions held a strong interest in Mastantuono last year and were advancing talks with his camp and River Plate over a move.

However, in the background, the youngster’s camp negotiated a new contract with the Argentine outfit, committing to the club until December 31, 2026.

Real Madrid felt blindsided by this development, as Mastantuono’s previous deal stood to expire at the end of 2024, meaning they could have signed him for a bargain.

The extension came with a €45 million release clause and gave River Plate more leverage in talks, prompting Los Blancos to walk away from the deal.

This is believed to have been the reason behind the Merengues severing ties with Mastantuono’s agent.

However, with Solari, who is also set to take over as the interim manager briefly before Xabi Alonso’s arrival, pushing for the youngster’s acquisition, it will be interesting to see if Real Madrid are willing to reopen negotiations.