Liverpool reportedly have a “growing interest” in a young player with a big future in the game, with rivals Manchester United also battling for his signature.
The Reds need to bring in signings who are immediate key men this summer, in order to turn Arne Slot’s Premier League champions into an even more formidable outfit.
It is also essential that Liverpool always plan for the future, however, snapping up players who can mature into great footballers over time, learning their trade at Anfield.
According to a new report from Sport [via Sport Witness], Liverpool are among the clubs who have a “growing interest” in River Plate teenager Franco Mastantuono.
The 17-year-old midfielder is also being monitored by United, while Real Madrid also get a mention, highlighting the Argentine’s pedigree. They had an agreement with him last year, but the move fell through because they wouldn’t match his £38m release clause.
One for the future for Liverpool
Mastantuono is far from a household name, given his age and the fact that he is still playing in his homeland of Argentina, but the fact that so many huge clubs are eyeing him up speaks volumes about his potential.
The River Plate ace has represented his country at Under-20 and Under-17 level, winning a combined 19 caps, and he has already made 58 appearances at senior level for his club side.
Meanwhile, football talent scout Jacek Kulig has heaped praise on the left-footed starlet, saying he has “pure brilliance” in his game, and FIFA have had this to say about him:
“He has a different, special aesthetic. The stretched, slender, elegant body. He receives with his foot and the game options seem to multiply. From right to left. With the inside edge or the instep. With the toe or the outside of the boot. Franco Mastantuono, the new promise -figure- of River Plate, 17 years old, has the complete repertoire.”
In Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, Liverpool have a superb first-choice midfield unit, while Wataru Endo, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott are also good options, but that shouldn’t stop them from bringing in Mastantuono as a wonderful long-term prospect.
