FC Barcelona joins the 'bid' for the great 'jewel' of Argentine football

FC Barcelona have put Franco Mastantuono's name on their list of potential players. The River Plate midfielder is one of the biggest 'jewels' in Argentine football and clubs such as Real Madrid and Manchester City are also following him closely, so the Catalans got to work to take advantage in the 'bidding'.

According to what was reported in 'Mundo Deportivo', the Barcelona club sent a 'scouting' to South America at the end of October and beginning of November of this year 2024 to follow some of the millionaire team's matches live in their stadium. However, said monitoring only involved gathering information about the footballer and not an immediate operation.

The matches 'spied' by Barça

The 17-year-old player played more than half an hour in the Copa Libertadores match against Atlético Mineiro. He came on in the 58th minute to replace Solari but did not score or assist in the final goalless draw (0-0). Later, in the match against Banfield, the Albiceleste 'pearl' remained on the bench.

Mastantuono extended his commitment to River until December 2026, increasing his termination clause to 45 million euros. The midfielder will not be able to be hired by a European club until he is of legal age, an event that will take place next August. Meanwhile, at Can Barça they have taken a step forward in the 'race' for the South American promise.