Giant eyes Mastantuono to link up with fellow Argentine | OneFootball

The former River midfielder is going through a tough time at the Merengue, and eyes from Italy are already on him.

The boos that came down last Saturday from the stands of the Santiago Bernabéu resonated in the Spanish capital and spread throughout Europe. One of the main targets at Real Madrid was Franco Mastantuono, who has yet to convince the fans and is experiencing a challenging footballing present. His talent, however, continues to attract interest on the continent, and recently it emerged that a giant is keeping a close watch on him.

As names start to parade and the transfer market heats up, Inter Milan has included the Argentine midfielder in their list of priorities for the next season. According to the media outlet Calciomercato, they see his addition as a strategic opportunity within the current context of the Casablanca.

The Nerazzurri's intention, besides finding another great partner for Lautaro Martínez, is to strengthen their project with young talent, a guideline set by Oaktree, the owning group managing the sports and institutional strings. In that plan, other names linked to the white team appeared, such as Nico Paz and Arda Güler, although both paths quickly cooled due to internal decisions made by Florentino Pérez's management.

The case of the midfielder who emerged at River began to gain momentum following those rejections. According to the Italian press, he is the youngster most likely to leave in the next window, as at Real Madrid, no one dares to rule out the chance of giving him playing time outside of Spain to help him fully adapt to the pressure and frenetic pace of the major leagues.

The option being discussed is an exit with a buyback clause, a mechanism that Inter has already accepted in recent operations. This format directly refers to the precedent of Paz at Como 1907, a negotiation that satisfied all parties. At Inter, they believe that this experience can facilitate a similar agreement, with the possibility of enhancing the player and returning him to Madrid in the future if he fully blossoms.

At just 18 years old, Mastantuono is going through an acclimatization phase after his abrupt leap to Europe, following his transfer from River in mid-2025. Having overcome a pubic injury, he alternated appearances and left interesting statistics, but his level has yet to convince the fans: two goals and one assist in 19 official matches, although still without full continuity.

Inter is the opposite of Real Madrid: they are experiencing a great local present, leading Serie A with Lautaro focused on the goal. Moreover, Cristian Chivu's team is still in the running on all fronts, with the quarterfinals of the Coppa Italia secured and a privileged spot in the Champions League. This competitive context is one of the points that attracts the addition of youth with international projection to sustain the squad's ambition.

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