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River Plate Vows Tougher Deals After Losing $52M Teenage Star to Real Madrid
31 Oct
Summary
- Real Madrid signed 18-year-old Franco Mastantuono from River Plate for $52 million
- Xabi Alonso played a key role in securing the deal
- River Plate vows to set higher release clauses to protect future star players
In the recent summer transfer window, Real Madrid brought in four new players, with three of them being defenders. The one exception was teenage sensation Franco Mastantuono, who arrived from River Plate in Argentina.
The deal for the 18-year-old midfielder was orchestrated by Real Madrid's head coach Xabi Alonso. Alonso was instrumental in convincing Mastantuono to join the Spanish club, despite interest from Paris Saint-Germain. Ultimately, Real Madrid activated the player's release clause, set at $52 million (€45 million).
While the transfer was a significant coup for Real Madrid, River Plate's general secretary Stefano Di Carlo has revealed that such a deal will not happen again. The club never wanted to sell their promising young talent, but the lure of European football proved too strong to resist.
Going forward, River Plate has decided to change its approach when signing its best players to new contracts. The club will now set much higher release clauses to ensure they get the full value for their top prospects, and in turn, reinvest that money back into the club.
