A costly deal... and a highly anticipated one

Real Madrid won a long and competitive race to sign Franco Mastantuono, the 17-year-old left-footed gem who dazzled the world at River Plate. Despite strong interest from top European clubs like Manchester City and PSG, it was Los Blancos who paid his €63 million release clause to secure his talent. The negotiation was intense, with back-and-forth talks between Madrid and River, but the final agreement was sealed for six seasons.

Although he was officially announced weeks ago, the young Argentine has yet to join the first-team dynamic due to his age. He’s expected to report on August 14, once he turns 18, which will allow him to start training under Xabi Alonso. And he’ll be doing so while earning more than several already-established names.

A star salary... before even debuting

According to Capology, Mastantuono will earn €3.5 million net per season, a figure higher than several players who already have experience in Madrid’s first team, such as Gonzalo García, who will be one of his direct competitors, or Fran González, a regular starter last season.

Compared to some of his former teammates from River Plate’s academy, Mastantuono’s salary sits just below Julián Álvarez, who will reportedly earn €6.6 million at Atlético de Madrid—a massive difference when compared to most Argentine prospects.

To put things into perspective, ‘Diablito’ Echeverri, who has already debuted and scored with Manchester City, will earn just €900,000 per season in the Premier League—almost four times less than Real Madrid’s newest signing. That makes Mastantuono one of the highest-paid teenagers in world football, even before stepping onto a European pitch.