Franco Mastantuono (Azul, 2007) is set to become a Real Madrid player. The transfer was finalized much faster than anticipated—just 96 hours after negotiations began. River Plate will receive approximately €46 million, which includes the value of the release clause and associated fees. Mastantuono will sign a six-year deal running until 2031, and although there were discussions about him staying at River until December, he is now expected to join Real Madrid in August, following the Club World Cup.

This move would not have been possible without the key efforts of Juni Calafat, the club’s Chief International Scout, and José Ángel Sánchez, Real Madrid’s General Manager. Both executives traveled to Buenos Aires and negotiated directly with River Plate and the player's entourage. Mastantuono made his priorities clear, putting all other offers—including from Luis Enrique’s PSG—on hold to fulfill his dream of wearing the white shirt.

Initially, the young Argentine believed he would stay with River until at least January, hoping to lift the Copa Libertadores before making the move to Europe. However, Real Madrid, fully convinced of his technical quality and long-term potential, has opted to integrate him sooner to facilitate his adaptation to European football.

The official announcement is expected next week.

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