Are Manchester City and Real Madrid ready to battle it out for a River Plate midfielder?

Is another battle brewing between Manchester City and Real Madrid? The two teams have had a fierce rivalry on the field in recent seasons. Now a new report indicates their rivalry could extend to matters off the pitch as they battle to sign a River Plate midfielder.

Spanish publication Sport have reported that the two European giants are set to battle it out to sign River Plate midfielder Franco Mastantuono. Furthermore, Sport reports that Real Madrid have already agreed personal terms with Mastantuono. But the La Liga giants are yet to agree a fee with River Plate. Sport also report that this has opened the door for Manchester City to make a move for the River Plate midfielder. The champions have reportedly opened negotiations with River Plate to agree a fee for Mastantuono. Finally, Sport report that River Plate are demanding that the €45m buyout clause in Mastantuono’s contract be paid in order for them to sell the midfielder.

The rivalry between Manchester City and Real Madrid continues to grow. Over the past three seasons, the two teams have played 6 epic matches in the UEFA Champions League. The winner of those epic ties over the past three seasons has won the Champions League. Their rivalry has now become one of the highest quality rivalries in European football.

Now it’s starting to expand off the field. Given the stature of both clubs, it is now common to see the two teams battling it out for signings. With both teams requiring a certain quality of player to add to their squads, it’s not unexpected to see them battle it out in the transfer market.

The latest player linked with both clubs is River Plate midfielder Franco Mastantuono. Mastantuno is an attacking midfielder who has earned rave reviews since being promoted to the River Plate first team. Dribbling, accurate passing and eye for goal are outstanding attributes of the youngster’s game. Mastantuno’s ability to outrun defenders is a joy to watch. He appears to have the talent and potential to develop over time into another quality player from Argentina.

It’s clear why teams like Manchester City and Real Madrid look set to fight for Mastantuno. He looks set to be the next big thing to come from River Plate. City will be hoping their previous relationships with the Argentine giants will help them land Mastantuno. They previously signed Claudio Echeverri and Julian Alvarez from River Plate. Manchester City will be hoping this can give them an edge over Real Madrid in a transfer battle between the two sides for River Plate’s young attacking midfielder.