The million-dollar gem will leave after turning 18 and commented on the factors that convinced him to move to the 'biggest club in the world'
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With his departure to Real Madrid already confirmed, Franco Mastantuonois spending his last days at River before his departure on August 14, the date when he will turn 18 years old. In a conversation with Gastón Edul on TyC Sports, the young forward broke his silence and explained what led him to make the decision to take the big leap to the Old Continent.
"I had a conversation with Real Madrid a year and a half ago. It was very good but nothing happened. Then I renewed with River, I played all last year and my idea was to stay. But in the middle of this year Real Madrid showed up, changed my mind, made me think, showed me the affection they had for me and their desire for me to be there. For me it was a dream, I saw it as a very beautiful personal challenge. That's when I made the decision and it was solved in a few days," Mastantuono said.
The player also revealed that the conversation with Xabi Alonso, Merengue coach, was key: "He always spoke to me with sincerity. Leaving River is not easy, we all know that. But he made it a little easier for me because of the way he called me, and that's also why I made the decision."
Xabi fue un factor clave para la llegada de Mastantuono al Madrid
"For me, River is the biggest club in America, and now I'm going to the biggest club in Europe, and surely in the world, which is Real Madrid. It's a dream. I think for any River fan this is ideal, because you're making the leap to Europe to a club that wins everything," he said.
Regarding how he experienced the end of his time in Núñez while news of his transfer was emerging, the young player assured that he did not lose focus: "I always try to be mentally where I am physically. I was at River and we were competing for important things. Obviously when these things come up you open your mind, but whenever I played for River my mind was there. I was never anxious or in a hurry. It would have been disrespectful to the club that gave me everything."
Mastantuono siempre estuvo enfocado en River
"When the time came to sit down and talk about how my life would continue, that's when I focused on that. Meanwhile, I tried to give my best in every match, for River to do well, which was the most important thing," Mastantuono concluded, who in a few weeks will experience his big leap to Europe.
Just one month away from his definitive arrival in Madrid, Mastantuono will join the select list of Argentines who have worn the Real Madrid jersey, something that had not happened since the spells of Nicolás Paz, now at Como in Italy, and Francisco Feuillassier, and whose last big names were Ángel Di María and Gonzalo Higuaín.
