Barcelona and Atletico Madrid target only available for €45m release clause | OneFootball

Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are two clubs that are looking to add exciting young players to their respective squads, and in recent months, both have set their sights on the possible addition of one of South America’s brightest talents.

The trend of seeking out moves for South American wonderkids is one that has grown among European clubs in recent years, and La Liga outfits are no different. Real Madrid have brought in Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo Goes and Endrick Felipe in recent years, while Barcelona signed Vitor Roque back in 2023 – although that move did not work out.

But they have not been deterred as they are targeting their next move. As per Sport, Barcelona have registered their interest in Franco Mastantuono, who is a 17-year-old Argentine attacking midfielder that currently plays for River Plate.

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Mastantuono had been on Real Madrid’s radar in 2024, although they have since cooled their interest. And in this period, city rivals Atleti have upped their interest in the teenager, whose possible arrival has been approved by Diego Simeone.

But according to BolaVIP, Atleti have yet to make any concrete moves for Mastantuono. And they may find it difficult to do so as River have made it clear that they have no desire to sell their prized youngster.

Due to FIFA rules, Mastantuono cannot leave River to join a European club until he turns 18, which he does so in August. That could be a deterrent for the likes of Barcelona and Atleti, as would the fact that the only way for a deal to be done is by activating the €45m release clause in the teenager’s contract.

Interestingly, Mastantuono is happy to stay at River for a while yet, with the latter report stating that he is willing to remain at the club until the end of 2026 at the earliest. At this point, Barcelona or Atletico Madrid may have decided that it is time to move on.