Clasico Countdown: Real Madrid's Rising Star Faces the Pressure Cooker
20 October 2025
Clasico Spotlight: Mastantuno's Struggles
Worries are mounting inside Real Madrid about the slip in form of young Argentine talent Franco Mastantuno, who is struggling to assert himself in Xabi Alonso's starting lineup just days before the highly anticipated Clasico with Barcelona.
The 18-year-old is amid one of his most testing spells since joining the club for 63.2 million euros from River Plate.
According to AS, last weekend's meeting with Getafe underscored Mastantuno's decline in form, with the teenager looking well short of his usual levels. The match demanded physical presence and a strong personality, yet the Argentine appeared muted and unable to keep pace with the top-line performers, notably Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler, and Vinicius Jr., who continued to shine.
The youngster, sidelined from national duty recently due to a minor muscle injury, looked tense from the opening whistle, as if Argentina’s missed chance still haunted him.
On the field, several scenes raised questions for the coaching staff, echoing earlier moments with Endrick who vented his frustration at not being selected in a prior fixture.
One telling moment came at the end of the first half, when Mastantuno asked for a free kick for his left foot, though he’d only been at the club for two months. Alaba used his long experience to settle the matter and take the kick himself, provoking a flare of anger before Militao stepped in to calm him.
The second scene unfolded when he was substituted in the 54th minute for Vinícius, visibly frowning as he left the pitch. That substitution marked Alonso’s first change of the match aside from an injury-related exit for Militao, sending a clear message that patience was wearing thin.
And it’s notable that Alonso has yet to hand Mastantuno a full 90 minutes, despite occasionally keeping him on until the 63rd minute against Oviedo and Marseille, with a late benching at the Coliseum.
This dip threatens Mastantuno’s starting place, especially after losing ground to Atlético Madrid, and he now needs a quick reaction before the Clasico. He hasn’t scored since his goal against Levante and has just one assist, while Vinícius has nine goals involved and Guler eight.
Against Getafe, goalkeeper David Soria faced only one effort from Mastantuno, underscoring his waning attacking influence. With mounting pressure and visible frustration, Real Madrid fears the young Argentine could lose confidence, a development that would complicate his path at a club not known for giving chances to underperformers.
Real Madrid's Talent Strategy and the Americas Pipeline
Beyond the match, Madrid continues a deliberate strategy of spotting and recruiting young talent early from the Americas, a long-term project that has helped the club outpace rivals in naming future stars before they shine globally.
That approach has grown beyond South America, recently extending into Mexico, signaling a clear plan to control the market for young players before prices skyrocket.
Among targets is Gilberto Mora, a 17-year-old Mexican forward from Tijuana, now under the microscope as part of Madrid’s North American push.
Mora joins Mastantuno, who recently arrived, as Madrid’s methodical plan to widen influence in North America moves forward.
Heavyweight Latin American talent dominates Real Madrid’s top ten LatAm valuations: Vinícius Jr. at 150m, Valverde at 130m, Rodrygo at 80m.
If the list expands to twenty names, Mastantuno would sit around 50m, with Nico Paz on the radar too, as Madrid eyes Argentina’s rising stars for a wider spread.
The policy’s roots go back to 2013, when Ramon Martinez, then an executive, started a Latin American scouting and buying approach, snapping up players like Casemiro for 5.3m and Valverde for 5m, with Uruguay’s talent also attracting attention.
The prolific scout Joni Calafat was among the first to spot Valverde when he was known as the Little Bird, and today he is a cornerstone of Real Madrid’s international scouting network.
Punchline 1: If Mastantuno finds his rhythm, he may need a calendar marked in 63.2 million euros to keep score of his progress. Punchline 2: Madrid’s academy is so relentless that even their starlets come with a mortgage and a passport.
