Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez has hailed River Plate teenager Franco Mastantuono as an “incredible player” and tipped him to excel in European football.
Fernandez’s employers Chelsea and Manchester United are also thought to be keen admirers of the attacking midfielder. Both Premier League clubs have been linked with a move for the record-breaking 17-year-old, who is said to have a release clause worth €45m (£38.4m).
Much like Mastantuono, Fernandez came through River’s academy. Despite never playing with the Argentina under-20 international, Chelsea’s playmaker had nothing but praise for his compatriot.
“He’s showing that he has a European future. You can see it,” Fernandez told ESPN. “He’s an incredible player. He’s doing very well and has shown great talent. In my opinion, he’s a star. I wish him the best and hope he can achieve all his goals. Hopefully he can also help us in the national team.”
Mastantuono turns 18 in August, so any potential suitors from Europe would be able to legally sign him this summer. Yet, for all the praise lavished on the teen, his experience of senior football is desperately minimal. Mastantuono boasts less than 1,000 minutes of top-flight football, scoring a single goal in his first 90-minute game.
River head coach Marcelo Gallardo has been more measured in his assessment of the team’s latest starlet. “Mastantuono continues to show flashes of being a special player,” the manager conceded. “We need to understand the growth process; the young players have to develop with the team. We’ll keep backing them without getting carried away or heaping too much pressure on them.”
Not everyone got the memo. River’s legendary former attacking midfielder Andres D’Alessandro has lauded Mastantuono. “I’m a big fan of his because he’s left-footed; he reminds me of the players we had at River in the past, the natural playmakers – the No 10s the club has always produced and continues to produce today,” he gushed.
