Real Madrid Transfer Talk on this sunny Sunday brings news that the Franco Mastantuono acquisition is being finalized. The 17-year-old Argentinian midfielder is considered one of the finest young talents in all of world football, and he was wanted by many of the biggest clubs, including Paris Saint-Germain.
However, it is Los Blancos who won his signature and all that’s left to is the paperwork and the medical evaluation.
🚨🤍 BREAKING: Franco Mastantuono to Real Madrid, here we go! Argentinian top talent will join Madrid on six year deal.
$45m fee to be paid in installments. ⭐️🇦🇷
Formal steps to follow next week with River Plate now asking for Franco to play Club World Cup then leave in August. pic.twitter.com/PDgYV3u6g2
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 8, 2025
Real Madrid Club World Cup FYIs
How They Qualified: Winners of the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League
Full Real Madrid CWC Preview: go here
Group H Matches:
June 18, 3pm EST, Al-Hilal, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, FL
June 22, 3pm, EST, Pachuca, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
June 26, 9pm, EST, RB Salzburg, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA.
Real Madrid Confidencial has more at this link. Mastantuono will play for River Plate in the Club World Cup, then he’ll join Madrid once the tournament is over.
Elsewhere, and this also comes to us via world transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is set for a new contract extension.
Real Madrid are very happy with their Belgian goalkeeper, and they are looking to lock him up with a new deal this July.
They are expected to get this over the line before the summer offseason concludes.
The 33-year-old’s current deal expires next June, so they want to get this wrapped up before the next summer silly season arrives.
The idea here is to keep some continuity, by keeping some of the main stars in place, as the club transitions from Carlo Ancelotti to Xabi Alonso.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter
