Barcelona are reportedly keen on 16-year-old Argentine prodigy Franco Mastantuono, a target for Chelsea and Real Madrid.
According to a report from Spanish publication SPORT, Chelsea and Real Madrid are keen on Franco Mastantuono. The 16-year-old midfielder has a €45 million release clause in his contract with River Plate. However, Barcelona will struggle to afford him given their current financial problems.
It will be interesting to see if Barcelona can convince River Plate to accept a more reasonable price for the 16-year-old. However, the report has claimed that the Argentine giants will not entertain any offers below his €45 million release clause.
Franco Mastantuono is an attacking midfielder who is expected to take up the number ten role at Barcelona if he joins the club. He is regarded as one of the finest young talents in South American football right now and he is first tile enough to operate in the white areas as well.
The Argentine wonderkid is expected to develop into a top-class player in the coming seasons, and it will be interesting to see where he ends up. He is also a target for Real Madrid and Chelsea.
Mastantuono could be tempted to join top clubs
Chelsea and Real Madrid certainly have the financial resources to get the deal done. Manchester City are keeping tabs on him as well. The opportunity to join some of the biggest clubs in Europe will be an attractive proposition for the midfielder, and he will look to continue his development with regular football at a high level.
It will be interesting to see if clubs like Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City are prepared to offer Franco Mastantuono first-team assurances. The 16-year-old cannot afford to sit on the bench at a big club. It could affect his development negatively.
It remains to be seen how the situation develops over the next few weeks. Barcelona will hope to sign the prodigious young talent, but they will struggle arrange the funds, even by selling some of their fringe players.
Barcelona have an exceptional track record of nurturing young players into established stars, and Mastantuono could fulfil his tremendous potential with them.Similarly, clubs like Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City have done well to nurture young players as well. They could be attractive destinations for the youngster.
