Man City look to hijack Real Madrid transfer 'agreement' for record-breaking River Plate talent

Manchester City are being linked with a move for River Plate teenager Franco Mastantuono

Manchester City are reportedly eyeing a move for River Plate's teenage sensation Franco Mastantuono - with Real Madrid also said to be keen on a deal for the midfielder.

The 16-year-old made his debut for the Buenos Aires side in January and subsequently became the youngest player in the club's history. Since then he has made a further 12 appearances for the club, scoring twice.

According to reports in Spain, via Sport Witness, City are keen on bringing Mastantuono to the Etihad and in doing so are ready to 'blow up' the agreement the midfielder has made with Champions League and La Liga winners Real Madrid.

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It is claimed that Los Blancos have agreed terms with the youngster but are yet to activate the €45m release clause that sits in his current contract with River Plate.

Should Mastantuono make the move to the Etihad in the coming weeks, he would follow in the footsteps of Julian Alvarez and Claudio Echeverri, who have both signed deals with Manchester City in recent seasons.

However, he would not be able to make the move to the Etihad until he turns 18, as a result of new regulations that came into play after the United Kingdom officially left the European Union in late December 2020.