Arne Slot looks on during a matchArne Slot looks on during a match
Arne Slot looks on during a match | Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Real Madrid have beat Liverpool and other Premier League clubs to the signature of this exciting attacker.
Liverpool are engaging in some exciting conversations already in the early stages of this transfer window. The Reds are bolstering multiple areas of their squad as they prepare to defend their Premier League title next season.
While Arne Slot is looking to bring in statement figures like Frimpong and Wirtz, the addition of Pecsi is just as important, as the club invest in depth and young talent.
Liverpool also had their eye on the head-turning Franco Mastantuono of River Plate. However, the Reds have fallen short of the mark as Real Madrid have beaten them and other rivals to the punch.
Real Madrid snub Liverpool of exciting playmaker
According to Graeme Bailey of TBR Football, Mastantuono has decided on where the next chapter in his career lies, and he will be joining Real Madrid later this year. Liverpool were among a number of other clubs showing interest in the 17-year-old, who was identified early as a ‘child prodigy’ by talent scout and trainer Daniel Brizuela.
The report claims that Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur were also showing interest in Mastantuono, whose contract with River Plate expires next December.
Under the new management of Xabi Alonso, Real Madrid are making significant moves on the transfer window. Mastantuono is expected to link up with Los Blancos in August, after his 18th birthday.
Newcastle United and Chelsea had also been keeping tabs on the teenage starlet but he has chosen Madrid, who have held long-term interest in his services.
Who is Franco Mastantuono?
Brizuela, the scout who discovered Mastantuono when he was just nine years old, was left blown away by the talent of the versatile attacker even in his younger years.
During an interview with AS, Brizuela was asked whether it was ‘love at first sight’ when he first watched Mastantuono.
“Instant. Love at first sight. From the first ball, I could see he was special. He excited me. Without any training, he received the ball on a bumpy pitch, made a spectacularly focused control, and chose the best passing option in tenths of a second. His decision-making was already exceptional. My instinct told me he was a child prodigy, a superlative talent.”
Brizuela also revealed how he felt immediately that Mastantuono would be a signing for Real Madrid later on his career. Sure enough, after keeping tabs on him for some time, the Spanish powerhouses look set to announce their next rising talent.
“I saw he was a player for European football. He was very intelligent, skilled, with great vision and great technical ability. The way he made decisions and his speed on the field were absolutely different. Plus, his body type and genetics were spectacular. I told the coach who was with me, ‘this is a kid for Real Madrid.’”
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