MANCHESTER UNITED could make a £38million swoop for the player dubbed “the Argentine Phil Foden”.
River Plate teenager Franco Mastantuono is being closely monitored by the Old Trafford side as they look for a summer re-boot.
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But United may have to get in quick as Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan are also on the trail of the 17-year-old starlet.
Mastantuono, the latest off the astonishing River Plate production line, became the youngest scorer in the club’s history when he netted in an Argentine Cup win over Excursionistas in February 2024 at just 16 years and five months, beating the record held by Javier Saviola.
He has added five more goals since, capped by a stunning individual strike in last week’s win over Gimnasia as he picked the ball up on the right and exploded inside, leaving three defenders for dead before finding the bottom corner with his favoured left foot.
That style of play, starting on the right, has seen the comparisons to Foden.
Like the Manchester City ace, he can play in a variety of rules across the middle of the park but prefers to switch inside onto his stronger foot.
And United are understood to be considering meeting the £38m release clause in his contract to land a player who is set to have a global stage this summer when he features for the Buenos Aires outfit in Fifa’s new expanded Club World Cup.
Mastantuono aims to make the same impact as previous River Plate academy graduates Ariel Ortega, Radamel Falcao, Julian Alvarez and Enzo Fernandes.
A stunning 51 academy players have progressed to the top tier over the past two decades, with River now viewed as the seeding ground of Argentina’s return to global supremacy.
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Mastantuono, who has already featured for the under-17 and under-21 sides, is expected to make his full debut next term and be in Lionel Scaloni’s squad for the 2026 World Cup.
And while River want to hold on to their latest prized asset, a serious bid by United would almost certainly see a deal being done.
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