Manager says the club would have liked the midfielder to stay for longer; €45m deal for Mastantuono agreed but player yet to officially sign for Real Madrid
River Plate coach Marcelo Gallardo has said the club would have liked Franco Mastantuono to stay in Argentina a little longer because players like him “are difficult to replace” .
Real Madrid recently agreed a €45m deal to sign the 17-year-old and Gallardo admitted the transfer feels premature.
“For us, our sporting project for the year was with him,” Gallardo told ESPN ahead of River Plate’s Club World Cup clash against Monterrey. “We have to readjust, because there are players who, by their nature, are difficult to replace.”
Mastantuono had become a key part of River Plate’s midfield and was seen as a future leader of the team. The transfer came earlier than anyone at the club would have liked. But Gallardo said he understands the reality of today’s football market.
“It’s natural, we train players for the world. Everything is happening earlier, young players are leaving faster, and I understand that those are the rules of the game,” said Gallardo. “We knew that Mastantuono was going to leave at some point, but fans don’t enjoy it that way. The market dictates the timing.”
Despite the noise surrounding his future, Mastantuono remains with River for their Club World Cup campaign, and Gallardo is focused on helping him block out the distractions.
“All I want is for him to play naturally, to try to forget about everything that’s going on, which is very difficult,” said the coach. “I don’t talk to him about where he’s going to live or anything like that. I want him to play, which is what he knows how to do.”
