River Plate prodigy Franco Mastantuono has revealed that a discussion with manager Xabi Alonso played a pivotal role in his decision to join Real Madrid.
Initially set to join the Spanish giants at the year’s end, the 17-year-old midfielder will now finalize his move immediately after the Club World Cup.
In an interview with DAZN, Mastantuono expressed that representing Real Madrid is a dream come true for him.
“How he talked to me was incredible and I really appreciated it,” he told DAZN.
“The talk had a lot of influence because the fact that the coach loves you is an important vote of confidence for a player. Leaving a club like River is not easy and his words motivated me a lot to take that leap.
“Playing for Madrid is a dream, I don’t need to say in words what that club is, we all know it. It is a new challenge in my life, a very nice challenge.”