Franco Mastantuono arrives in Spain ahead of Real Madrid presentation | OneFootball

Franco Mastantuono was Real Madrid’s third signing of the summer when the club announced a deal to sign the River Plate starlet in June.

Real Madrid paid as much as €45 million for the services of Mastantuono, who is widely regarded as one of the best talents to come out of Argentine football in quite some time.

But even though the move was announced earlier in the summer, Real Madrid were unable to officially present or register Mastantuono until his 18th birthday, which comes in less than two weeks.

Real Madrid are indeed expected to announce Mastantuono after his 18th birthday on August 14. But it appears the youngster has already arrived in the city.

Mastantuono arrives in Madrid

As reported by Mundo Deportivo, Mastantuono has finally reached Madrid after a long flight from Argentina.

The youngster arrives in Madrid 12 days before his 18th birthday, presumably to get a better idea about the city and its surroundings.

Franco Mastantuono will soon become a Real Madrid player. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

Before boarding the flight, the 17-year-old expressed his delight at joining the club, stating, “I’m very happy. I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time. I’m very happy to be traveling and to finally be back in Madrid.”

The Argentine international also wanted to take up the number ten shirt at Real Madrid, which has been given to Kylian Mbappe.

Talking about Mbappe occupying the number ten, the youngster said, “I would like to, but if he takes it, it’s his right; he’s an idol.“

At Real Madrid, Mastantuono will look to follow in the footsteps of club legend Alfredo Di Stefano, a player he admires deeply.

“A great player, a football legend. I said I wanted to follow in his footsteps, playing for River Plate and then moving to Madrid. For me, it’s great to be able to follow that path, and I hope I can do the same thing he did,” he concluded.

Now, all eyes will be on Real Madrid as they look to announce Mastantuono after August 14 and present him officially.