Alonso decisive in Mastantuono's move to Madrid

New Real Madrid signing Franco Mastantuono has said a speech with manager Xabi Alonso convinced him to articulation the club.

Madrid confirmed earlier this period that playmaker Mastantuono volition articulation them successful August erstwhile helium turns 18, aft agreeing a six-year contract.

For now, Mastantuono is with River Plate astatine the Club World Cup -- wherever he's started some the Argentinian side's games truthful acold -- arsenic they hole to play Inter successful Seattle connected Wednesday.

"The mode [Alonso] spoke to maine was incredible," Mastantuono said, successful an interrogation with DAZN. "I'm grateful to him for it, for the mode helium was with me. Our speech influenced maine a lot.

"If the manager wants you, it's a ballot of assurance for a player. Leaving a large nine similar River isn't easy, truthful his words motivated maine a batch to instrumentality that leap."

River younker merchandise Mastantuono is already a record-breaker, arsenic the youngest scorer successful the club's history, and the youngest debutant successful the past of the Argentina nationalist team.

Madrid bushed Paris Saint-Germain to the teenager's signing, moving accelerated to wrapper up a woody having tracked the subordinate for the past 2 years.

He was Madrid's 3rd signing this summer, aft Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold, but wanted to play for River astatine the Club World Cup earlier joining the LaLiga giants.

"We each cognize what [Real Madrid] is," Mastantuono said. "It's a imagination to play there. It's a bully situation for me.

"For me, Real Madrid are the biggest nine successful the world, the squad that's won the astir [trophies] successful Europe. Any subordinate would privation to play there. It's a dream, I privation to bask it."

Alonso has described Mastantuono arsenic "a lad with a fantastic contiguous and an unthinkable future."

"The maturity helium has connected the field, helium brings disconnected the tract too," Alonso said past week. "When I spoke to him I saw his ambition, his maturity.

"In August he'll beryllium with us, and he'll beryllium an important summation to the squad."