Franco Mastantuono was absent from Real Madrid’s group session at Valdebebas on Tuesday, training apart from the rest of José Mourinho’s squad as his departure from the club edges closer to being finalized. The Argentine had already been left out of the squad list for Saturday’s pre-season friendly against Fiorentina in Klagenfurt, Austria — not through injury, but because of his imminent move.
Fiorentina now the clear frontrunner
According to club insider Arancha Rodríguez, a loan to Fiorentina is now considered close to confirmed, and Fabrizio Romano has separately reported the Serie A side are currently leading the race for his signature ahead of other suitors. Roma, Milan, Napoli, and even Fulham — where former Real Madrid boss Álvaro Arbeloa has reportedly identified him as a target — have all been credited with interest at various points this summer, but Fiorentina, ironically the very opponent he’ll now miss facing, appear to have moved ahead of the competition.
A return to boyhood club River Plate had also been floated, but Real Madrid have ruled that out. The club’s view is that his development is better served staying in Europe, given the size of the investment made in him a year ago.
A difficult debut season
Mastantuono arrived from River Plate for a fee in excess of €60 million last summer and started brightly under Xabi Alonso, but his role diminished as the campaign went on, compounded by a persistent groin injury that eventually sidelined him for a run of matches. He finished the season with around 1,500 minutes across all competitions — three goals and one assist — a modest return given the size of the transfer. He’s still only 19, and made his senior Argentina debut last year, though injury has since kept him out of further recalls.
Why the club is pushing this through now
The timing lines up with Real Madrid’s broader squad reshuffle. With Yan Diomandé’s arrival imminent and competition for attacking and creative positions intensifying further, Mourinho and the club’s hierarchy have concluded there isn’t a realistic path to regular minutes for Mastantuono this season. A loan — following the same model that worked well for Endrick’s spell at Lyon — is seen as the option that protects both his development and the club’s financial investment.
There’s a technical wrinkle worth noting, too: Mastantuono remains formally registered with Real Madrid Castilla rather than the first team, meaning his departure alone won’t free up a first-team registration slot — a detail that matters given the club is also trying to make room to register Rodri Hernández if that deal goes through.
RMxtra Verdict
This has the feel of a move both sides actually want. Real Madrid protect the value of a big investment by keeping him developing in a top European league, and Mastantuono gets what he actually needs after a stop-start debut season: a starting role and consistent minutes, wherever that ends up being
