Manchester United have become increasingly interested in River Plate playmaker Franco Mastantuono, who has become a key target for many Premier League clubs. But even though Real Madrid backed out of the race a few months ago, the Argentinian prospect still dreams of a move to the Santiago Bernabeu.
According to a report from German Garcia Grova of TyC Sports in Argentina, Mastantuono is making it clear to all clubs interested in him that he dreams of joining Real Madrid.
He is telling clubs that he is not desperate to leave River Plate yet and is willing to wait for Madrid. Mastantuono already rejected French giants Marseille, and Manchester United are reportedly struggling to meet River’s valuation and 40 million euro release clause.
Manchester United beat Real Madrid to a top prospect last year
Last year, Manchester United and Real Madrid went at it in a transfer battle for Lille phenom Leny Yoro, widely regarded as the best young center back in world football and as a future superstar by Madrid chief scout Juni Calafat.
Even though Yoro dreamed of joining Real Madrid, president Florentino Perez was unwilling to pay a high fee to Lille for Yoro. He wanted to wait to sign him for free. Lille didn’t like that and pushed him to join Manchester United instead of running down his contract, even threatening to bench him.
So despite the fact that Mastantuono is dreaming of a move to the Spanish capital, Manchester United shouldn’t feel like they are out of the race entirely, because that’s exactly what happened with Yoro last year.
Plus, even though Calafat and Santiago Solari are high on Mastantuono and have been banging the drum for Perez to go for this player they deem as a special talent, Real Madrid have, overall, cooled their interest in the 17-year-old phenom since rumors first surfaced last summer transfer window.
Neither club needs a playmaker
Neither Real Madrid nor Manchester United, interestingly enough, have a desperate need for a playmaker. Real Madrid have three great attacking midfielders from the 2023 transfer window in Arda Guler, Brahim Diaz, and, of course, Jude Bellingham.
Meanwhile, the No. 10 is a position of strength for Manchester United, too, as Bruno Fernandes is the team’s best player and captain while Alejandro Garnacho remains their best prospect.
Still, it’s good to see Manchester United competing again for the very best talents in the world, and while it must be frustrating to see how they all favor Real Madrid, Yoro’s example shows that there is often a path to Old Trafford for these players, too.
Joe Soriano covers Tottenham for FanSided’s Hotspur HQ and writes about Real Madrid for The Real Champs. He has extensive experience covering world football since 2014. Joe is an editor for The Trivela Effect, where he covers the biggest clubs in European football. He has watched professional sports regularly since 2002 and can be found playing the same sports he covers with his friends.