Real Madrid agreed to pay 63 million euros to sign 17-year-old star from River Plate; situation worries Gallardo
Franco Mastantuono, 17, was announced by Real Madrid a few days before the Club World Cup, but he plays for River Plate, the club that revealed him at the Club World Cup. And coach Marcelo Gallardo, from the argentine team, admitted that the player’s departure could be a problem.
The Argentine coach explained that River’s sports plan for the season included Mastantuono. Gallardo said that the club will need to adapt to his departure, emphasizing that players of this type are very difficult to replace.
“Our sports plan for the year was with him. Now we have to adapt because there are some players who are difficult to replace, but I don’t think we will have to start from scratch. […] We are training players for everyone. Everything is getting younger and younger, young people are leaving faster and faster and I understand, those are the rules of the game”, said Marcelo Gallardo, coach of River Plate.
Mastantuono will only be available to Real Madrid in August, when he turns 18. The Spanish club paid 63 million euros (just over R$400 million) to sign the athlete.
