Benfica and Sporting join race for Real Madrid gem Mourinho may ditch | OneFootball

José Mourinho is already planning a possible major overhaul of the Real Madrid squad ahead of next season. According to reports published this Tuesday by the Spanish sports press, Franco Mastantuono could leave the Spanish capital club in the next summer transfer window, and Benfica is said to be among the interested parties.

Although the Portuguese coach wants to assess the Argentine midfielder during pre-season before making a final decision, the Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo reports that, at the merengue club, it has already been considered virtually certain for some time that the player will leave in this transfer window.

Given this scenario, the number of clubs interested in the Argentine international is expected to grow in the coming weeks. Real Madrid want to send him to a European club on loan, favoring that option over a permanent sale or a transfer with a buy-back clause.

Signed last summer for €63.2 million, Mastantuono is seen as a long-term strategic asset, with a contract running until June 2031. For that reason, the Spanish club does not want to lose control over the player. According to Mundo Deportivo, several clubs have already shown interest, including Inter Milan, Tottenham, Rennes, River Plate, Benfica and Sporting.

the player is expected to remain in Europe and join a team competing in the Champions League. In this context, Benfica, Tottenham and Rennes are ruled out for not meeting the top-tier European competition requirement, while River Plate does not meet the condition of being part of European football.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.