Franco Mastantuono Decision Made by Real Madrid Amid January Transfer Interest

Real Madrid are understood to have made a firm decision regarding the immediate future of Franco Mastantuono.

The 18-year-old moved to the Bernabeu from River Plate in his native Argentina last summer when Real paid a transfer fee in the region of €45 million (£39m).

Expectations were high for Mastantuono, who was tipped as one of five Champions League wonderkids to watch this season.

Franco Mastantuono’s lack of Real Madrid game time

But the teenager has since seemingly become a little concerned by his lack of game time under Real boss Xabi Alonso — especially considering his place in Argentina’s squad for the 2026 World Cup is not yet 100% secured.

Mastantuono has so far received just 551 minutes in La Liga, spread across 10 appearances, plus another 139 minutes of Champions League game time.

Real Madrid will not allow Franco Mastantuono to leave in January

Several clubs were said to be monitoring Mastantuono’s situation ahead of the January transfer window, most notably Napoli.

But Alonso is believed to have closed the door to the possibility of a mid-season exit for Mastantuono, with the Real boss deciding that he does have a place in his first-team plans for the second half of the 2025/26 season.

Real finished 10 points behind Barcelona in La Liga’s 2025 calendar year table, but there are only four points below their great rivals in the actual 2025/26 table.

Alonso’s side are also still fighting for the Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League, while their first piece of silverware this season could come next month when they travel to Saudi Arabia for the 2026 Supercopa de Espana.

Mastantuono will hope to play a key role in Saudi Arabia, having regained full fitness following an injury that saw him miss much of November.

As well as aiming to win his first trophy with Real in 2026, Mastantuono will hope to be part of an Argentina side aiming for two titles next year.

Argentina will take on Spain in Qatar in March in the 2026 Finalissima — a match between the champions of Europe and South America.

The reigning World Cup champions will then begin their quest to retain their global crown in June when they face Algeria, Austria and Jordan in the USA.

Record-breaker Franco Mastantuono eyeing more history

Mastantuono was the youngest player to debut for Argentina in an official match when he made his bow for the national team aged 17 years and 296 days against Chile in June.

He then made his first start for Argentina in a 3-0 win over Venezuela in early September, before earning his third and most recent international cap five days later in a 1-0 loss to Ecuador.

Should Mastantuono get selected for the 2026 World Cup and then feature in Argentina’s first group match — against Algeria in Kansas City on June 16 — then he will make more history. Such an appearance would see Mastantuono become Argentina’s youngest ever player in World Cup history, replacing Lionel Messi in the record books.