Franco Mastantuno
, a 16-year-old youth trained in River's youth academy, is making more and more noise in the football world.
This left-footed, daring, dribbler, scorer and with a lot of technique and ability to move the ball under his feet, is in the orbit of nothing more than Barcelona, a European giant.
According to the Catalan newspaper Sport, the culé team is one of the clubs interested in acquiring the services of Mastantuono: “Barça, as the other greats in Europe do, is collecting information about this gem, which has surprised by the strength of its emergence, which few could have foreseen just a few months ago.”
But there is one specific fact that excites Barcelona in the face of a possible future negotiation with the River Plate jewel.
His idol is Lionel Messi
.
Yes, the best footballer of all time, a legend in the Catalonia team where he broke all kinds of records for more than two decades.
"I always look at Messi, who is my idol, I see what things he does, how he thinks and moves. He seems to me to be the best in the world, by far," Mastantuono had said some time ago.
Demichelis gives a clue to the youth.
Photo: AFP
At the beginning of the year,
Martín Demichelis called up the 16-year-old youth to do the preseason
with the rest of the squad in the United States.
Under his watchful eye, Mastantuono made his official debut in Primera on January 28 against Argentinos Juniors.
That was just the kickoff for the 2007 category midfielder in his still brief, but very promising career.
On February 7, in a match corresponding to the 32nd finals of the Argentine Cup, Mastantuono scored his first goal with the band's shirt against Excursionistas and became the
youngest player in history to score a goal,
surpassing nothing else. than to Javier Saviola.
To this we must add that last weekend he entered the final minutes of River-Boca to become the youngest footballer to play in a Superclásico.
Mastantuono signed his first contract as a professional with Millonario until December 2025, with a clause of 30 million dollars, whose value could increase to 35 in the last days of the closing of the transfer market.
Franco Mastantuono will continue playing for River or he will follow in the footsteps of Claudio Echeverri, another promise of the Millionaire who will emigrate to the Old Continent, precisely to Manchester City, next year.