Manchester City and PSG lead Franco Mastantuono race despite rival interest from Europe's elite and River Plate wonderkid's willingness to 'wait' for Real Madrid

Per La Gazzetta dello Sport, Serie A giants AC Milan and Inter were the first clubs to identify and scout Mastantuono, but Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain are now leading the race to sign the 17-year-old wonderkid. Several top European clubs have shown interest in the attacker after he shined for River Plate in their first half of the season.

TyC Sports had reported earlier this week that Mastantuono has snubbed Manchester United's offer as he told their officials that he is not yet ready to make a decision on his future and will wait for La Liga giants to get in touch. The teenager has a €40million (£34m/$46m) release clause in his existing River Plate deal, which runs until December 31, 2026.

Mastantuono became River Plate's youngest goalscorer at 16 years, five months, and 25 days in February 2024, and has already featured in Argentina's under-17 and under-21 squads. He looks set to be the club's latest academy success, following in the footsteps of recent graduates such as Enzo Fernandez and Julian Alvarez.

Jorge Pablo Brito's River Plate will be back in action on Monday as they take on Velez Sarsfield in an Argentine Primera Division clash.