A fresh insight into the future of River Plate sensation Franco Mastantuono has come to the fore on Sunday.
And the news will no doubt mark a source of concern for those of a Barcelona persuasion.
This comes amid claims that the Blaugrana’s financial woes could yet see them miss out on the next great hope of Argentinian football.
Mastantuono, for his part, has seen his name take its place front and centre in the Spanish media headlines for several months now.
As much comes amid confirmation that both Barcelona, and Clásico rivals Real Madrid, have set their sights firmly on the signature of the 16-year-old.
Mastantuono has exploded onto the scene in his home country of Argentina this season, already a first-team regular with heavyweights River Plate.
A cultured midfielder/attacker boasting a sweet left foot, the starlet’s exploits have long begun to pique attentions in Europe, amid alleged interest on the part of not only Spanish football’s biggest clubs, but the likes of Premier League giants Chelsea and Manchester City, too.
As a result, supporters of Barcelona will be less than happy to hear of their side seemingly falling behind in the race for Mastantuono.
As per a report from Diario Sport, the coming weeks are expected to prove crucial when it comes to the youngster’s long-term future.
Despite being nothing short of desperate to beat out the competition to his signature, however, Barca are ‘in danger’ of missing out.
This comes with the Blaugrana’s focus over the months ahead set to be directed fully towards returning to the 1-1 rule.
In the knowledge that Deco and the transfer team in Catalunya’s capital are unable to commit to the terms of any form of big-money transfer at present, Mastantuono’s fellow suitors are in turn ready to take advantage, with potentially imminent offers.
Conor Laird | GSFN
