Atlético de Madrid has always been alert to the South American market, as they have found players there who have ended up succeeding as rojiblancos. It is true that in recent years this has been a scenario that was abandoned, as they failed to make successful signings from that area. In fact, some footballers who later succeeded in Europe have slipped away and returned to the radar of the colchonero team.
Now, at the Metropolitano, they are very alert to one of the young promises from Argentina who is already on the agenda of major European clubs. He is only 17 years old, but he is already fully adapted to the elite and is a regular fixture in the Argentina U-20 team, despite his young age. It will not be an easy operation, as his release clause is 45 million dollars to prevent him from leaving at too low a price.
Atlético de Madrid Looks to Argentina
The South American market has always provided great stars to European teams, although it is something that has been abandoned in recent years. Without a doubt, Brazil is the main competition in all of America, as it has good footballers whose transfer fees are always high. However, the figure of Franco Mastantuono has emerged, a 17-year-old forward from River Plate who is poised to be one of the best talents in his country.
He has a contract until December 2026 and has a release clause that amounts to 45 million dollars to deter major European teams. Real Madrid was close to securing his signing, but his high transfer fee caused Florentino Pérez to call off the entire operation. Barça and Manchester City have also been mentioned as possible destinations for the Argentinian, who is expected to soon make a leap in his career.
No Success Since Ángel Correa
The reality is that at Atlético de Madrid, they have not been able to hit the mark when signing in South America, betting on players who were not up to the task. Many remember the case of Kranevitter, who was expected to be the successor of Javier Mascherano in the Argentina national team. He spent six months at Vicente Calderón before being loaned to Sevilla and eventually being transferred to Russia.
He was forced to return to River Plate and never lived up to the expectations that had been caused while he was indispensable under Marcelo Gallardo. The last success of the colchonero team in that market has been Ángel Correa, who came from San Lorenzo de Almagro and is almost a legend. He has been performing at the highest level for a decade, and many fans consider him the best substitute in the world for his goals and offensive contribution.