'Not much we can do' - River Plate president defends Franco Mastantuono sale to Real Madrid but vows to keep Argentine wonderkid for 'as long as possible' despite transfer agreement reports

River Plate’s young sensation Mastantuono, is at the centre of a major transfer story as Madrid move closer to securing his signature. The club's president has acknowledged that if the €45m (£38m/$52m) release clause in his contract is trigguered, the club cannot stop the transfer.

The 17-year-old is one of the most hyped Argentine talents in recent memory, recently earning his debut for the national team. For Los Millonarios, the financial gain could be record-breaking, but losing such a rare talent so early also raises questions about long-term squad building. For Los Blancos, signing him fits their strategy of investing in future stars early, as they’ve done with Vinícius Jr., Rodrygo and Endrick.

Brito told ESPN Argentina: "The clause, within the employment contract, is by which the player has the right to leave for free. The club can't handle it, if the player decides to leave, executes the clause, there's not much we can do." 

He added: “There is often talk about why they didn't raise his clause, it's not that it didn't occur to me, the representatives ask that they not be abusive, they are made so that at a value that is profitable for the club, the players can leave... We must respect the contract we have, defend the club's interests down to the last cent, and try to retain the player as long as possible."

Madrid are expected to move swiftly after the Club World Cup, where both River Plate and Los Blancos will feature. Mastantuono’s representatives hold the key, once they decide to activate the release clause, the transfer becomes automatic.