Real Madrid News
Real Madrid pushing to wrap up €40 million signing this week
According to a recent report from Eduardo Burgos, it has come to light that Real Madrid are pushing to complete the signing of young Argentine talent Franco Mastantuono this week.
The Spanish giants are facing stiff competition from Paris Saint-Germain, but they are determined to get the deal done.
Things have moved quickly in recent days, and Real Madrid are now ready to pay the full release clause, which stands at €40 million, something they were hesitant about not long ago.
As reported before, the club’s top scout, Juni Calafat, who has played a major role in bringing top names like Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo to Madrid, is already in Buenos Aires.
While there were rumours he flew to Argentina just to close the Mastantuono deal, Burgos has clarified that Calafat is actually in the city to attend an event.
Still, Real Madrid’s intention is clear that they are pushing ahead with the transfer and hope to finalise it soon. Their good relationship with River Plate, the player’s current club, could help speed things up.
Madrid trusts the player’s growth plan
Interestingly, Real Madrid’s plan does not involve bringing Mastantuono to Spain right away, as the 17-year-old wants to stay at River Plate until the end of the season, which ends in December.
He is hoping to make a strong impact at his current club and possibly even break into the Argentina national team setup.
Real Madrid support this idea. They believe allowing him to stay in Argentina for a while longer will help him grow in a familiar environment.
This way, when he finally makes the move to Europe, he will be better prepared for the challenge.
A few weeks ago, everything seemed under control until PSG entered the race. Now, with pressure from France, Real Madrid are not taking any risks.
The next few days could be crucial in deciding where Mastantuono ends up, and Madrid know this signing could shape the future of their midfield for many years.
Real Madrid prospect Alexis Ciria will have to wait for his Champions League opportunity despite making a strong impression on Jose Mourinho during pre-season.
The Castilla winger has been left out of Real Madrid’s European squad, but the decision is the consequence of UEFA registration rules rather than a sporting judgment.
According to journalist Arancha Rodriguez (h/t Defensa Central), Ciria was not eligible for Madrid’s List B because he has not been with the club long enough to satisfy UEFA’s requirements.
Registering him would therefore have required Mourinho to include him on the more restrictive List A.
UEFA rules work against Ciria
List B provides clubs with additional flexibility to register young academy players, but being young enough is not sufficient on its own.
Players must also meet requirements concerning how long they have been eligible to represent the club.
Ciria does not meet those conditions because of his limited time at Valdebebas. Real Madrid would therefore have needed to sacrifice a List A position to register him.
With those places required for members of Mourinho’s senior squad, Ciria was ultimately left out.
Real Madrid’s List B instead includes youngsters such as Joan Martinez, Mario Rivas, Thiago Pitarch, Jorge Cestero and Daniel Yanez.
Many of these youngsters made a name for themselves under Mourinho during pre-season and could be used to make up the numbers in the Champions League squad.
They could also get some minutes off the bench, especially against relatively easier opposition, as Jose Mourinho looks to manage first-team minutes.
Mourinho still plans first-team opportunity
Importantly for Ciria, missing the Champions League squad does not appear to reflect a change in Mourinho’s opinion of him.
The youngster impressed during pre-season and is expected to continue spending time around the senior team.
Mourinho intends to give Ciria his official first-team debut during the season. That opportunity will now have to arrive in La Liga or the Copa del Rey.
The Portuguese tactician placed a lot of emphasis on trusting Castilla players during pre-season in the absence of first-team stars.
Ciria was one of the many names who made a name for themselves at Real Madrid during pre-season. He deserves a chance in the first team, and it remains to be seen how Jose plans his development.
