Reports from South America suggest that Liverpool are taking a keen interest in an Argentine prodigy who’s already established at one of the country’s biggest clubs.
The Reds have had past and present stars from the Albiceleste in their ranks such as Javier Mascherano and Alexis Mac Allister, and it seems that they have their eye on a 17-year-old prospect who could be a future stalwart for the three-time world champions.
According to River Noticias, the Premier League leaders have been closely following River Plate teenager Franco Mastantuono, who’s also attracted the interest of Real Madrid and Barcelona.
The Buenos Aires outfit are understandably keen not to part with the playmaker, whose termination clause stands at $45m (£35.3m), and it’s added that club chiefs ‘will pay close attention to a possible offer’ from Liverpool.
It’s claimed that the Anfield hierarchy will contact their River Plate counterparts before the end of this year in relation to the teenage talent.
Despite only turning 17 in August, Mastantuono has already made 40 senior appearances for one of the biggest clubs in South America, not just Argentina; and ex-Liverpool midfielder Mascherano called him up to his country’s under-20 squad when he was a mere 15 years old.
River Plate youth coach Martín Pellegrino has described the teenager as a ‘very decisive’ playmaker who boasts a ‘formidable shot’ and is an ‘excellent teammate’ who ‘leads the group forward’ (Infobae), and he’s also caught the eye for his powerful free-kick technique.
The Reds are no strangers to signing South American players, with four of them in Arne Slot’s current squad, although they tend to wait for them to make an impact in Europe first rather than signing them directly from their homeland.
Despite that, Mastantuono already has plenty of high-level exposure at a club where the pressure to win is intense, which could help him to transition quickly if he were to sign for a European giant.
Liverpool chiefs might just be tempted to obtain a reference from Mascherano to evaluate whether or not an offer is worth making for the 17-year-old wonderkid from Buenos Aires.
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