Real Madrid Announces New First Team Signing

Spanish soccer giant Real Madrid officially announced a new first team signing via its social media account and website on Friday afternoon in Spain.

“Real Madrid C. F. announces that Franco Mastantuono will be a player for our club for the next six seasons, from August 14, 2025 to June 30, 2031,” correspondence on the matter began.

“Mastantuono was trained in River Plate’s youth academy between 2019 and 2024, and has been part of the first team in the last 2024-2025 season. In February 2024, he became the youngest goalscorer in the history of River Plate, a team with which he has won an Argentine Super Cup.

At 17 years old, he is also the youngest player to play an official match with the Argentine national team in its history,” Madrid added.

Though Madrid did not state any figures that have been paid for the youngster, Argentine journalist Hernan Castillo previously used his popular account on X, formerly known as Twitter, to report that Mastantuono is now the most expensive player in Argentine soccer history.

Castillo explained that while Mastantuono’s release clause was $51 million, the total cost of the transfer comes to $70 million including taxes. Furthermore, that sum will allegedly be paid in full at once, rather than in installments.

An announcement regarding the Mastantuono signing comes just a day after Trent Alexander-Arnold was presented to Madrid fans worldwide from the club’s headquarters.

Madrid reportedly paid Liverpool $11.5 million (€10 million) for the right back to be released from his contract before it expired on June 30, in order to help Xabi Alonso’s squad at the Club World Cup which kicks off on Saturday through a showdown between Al-Ahly and FC Barcelona legend Lionel Messi’s current employers Inter Miami.

While Mastantuono costs far more, though, he won’t cross the Atlantic until after the United States-held FIFA tournament but doesn’t have to wait until he is 18 to do so because of his access to a European passport through Italian ancestry that many Argentines boast.

Mastantuono is expected to become a member of the Real Madrid first team

Unlike some other South American prodigies, Mastantuono won’t have to cut his teeth in the Real Madrid reserve team known as the Castilla upon arrival in the Spanish capital. He’ll instead join the senior side straight away, and probably battle with the likes of Arda Guler and a Rodrygo that has made his mind up on his future for minutes.