Liverpool ponder huge bid for teenage Argentine sensation after Real Madrid register interest

Argentina has consistently delivered some of the best players in world football and is a hot spot for some of the best young talents in the world. They have yet again got another star coming through and the world’s biggest clubs are all keen to land him this summer.

Franco Mastantuono is only 17 years old but is lighting up the Argentine first tier at River Plate and is seen as one of, if not the best talent in the country. Sources expect him to leave the club this summer and he has a host of choices on the table.

Real Madrid and Barcelona have both registered interest and have made contact with his agency at the AREA Sports team. They are in a strong position to land the teenager due to his desire to play at one of the world’s biggest sides, but face serious competition from English giants.

Sources have confirmed that Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal have all taken a keen interest and have scouts watching him regularly. Chelsea have got a particular interest due to his profile matching their recruitment policy.

River Plate are not willing to sell the playmaker on the cheap, with Mastantuono’s release fee clause standing at just over £35 million. They also claim the club will ‘pay close attention to a possible offer’ from Liverpool.

The Reds are looking to build a new depth in their squad this summer that will allow them to compete on multiple fronts more effectively. Despite the fact they are on track to win the Premier League title, they have dropped out of the Champions League and lost the Carabao Cup final to Newcastle.

Liverpool scouts have been in attendance at River Plate and Argentina U-20 games to take in the attacking midfielder’s performances. They and other EPL sides will have to fight off La Liga’s big two, but Mastantuono has plenty of options.

Liverpool’s other ongoing transfer battles

➡️ Liverpool in three-way battle to sign sensational winger teed-up as eventual Mo Salah successor

➡️ Liverpool ‘all set’ to stun rivals in six-way summer transfer battle for Marc Guehi

➡️ Real Madrid to rival Liverpool for Premier League centre-back as THREE Euro giants join race

Who is Franco Mastantuono?

By Samuel Bannister

Writing for TEAMtalk in April 2024, scouting expert Ben Mattinson highlighted Mastantuono’s potential, explaining: “Mastantuono is destined for the very top. Real Madrid, Man City, Bayern… that’s the type of level team he’ll join.

“The Argentinian creative right-winger/#10 hybrid has a ridiculously good weight of pass on through balls and excellent vision to pick out players. He sees things before most and plays with real maturity and loves to take on responsibility of winning the game even when he’s the youngest on the pitch.”

That was when Mastantuono was just 16 years old and he has continued to develop since, approaching 50 appearances for River Plate’s first team before reaching adulthood.

A left-footed attacking midfielder, Mastantuono often plays as a no.10, but can drift to the right wing. Standing at just under six feet tall, he isn’t the strongest physically, but causes plenty of danger dribbling into the box thanks to his nifty footwork and vision.

His technique is exceptional, as evidenced by how he takes control of the ball and passes it on to his teammates.

At the time of writing, Mastantuono has as many goals as he does assists. It’ll be interesting to see which area he becomes more dangerous in as his career progresses.

Several of his youth coaches have observed his powerful ball-striking ability, which could make him a frequent goal-getter in years to come – as could his ability from free kicks. He’s also received praise for his one-on-one dribbling ability.

Mastantuono seems destined for the top and will be eager to prove himself on the biggest stages.