Fiorentina join race for Real Madrid teenager Franco Mastantuono as Italian passport offers transfer boost

Fiorentina have entered the chase to sign Real Madrid’s highly rated teenager Franco Mastantuono on loan this summer – and the Serie A side believe his Italian passport could give them a crucial advantage.

The 18-year-old Argentine midfielder, who joined Real Madrid last year in a deal worth €63.2m, is attracting strong interest across Europe, with Fiorentina now joining Fulham in exploring a season-long loan move.

Spanish outlet AS reports that Mastantuono is not short of suitors, with Fulham already having made their interest known, while Fiorentina have now moved into contention for his signature during the current transfer window.

According to Italian publication Calciomercato, Fiorentina have sounded out Real Madrid about the possibility of taking Mastantuono on loan, as the Florence club focus on strengthening their wide and attacking midfield options to support their central striker.

Italian passport seen as key advantage

Should Fiorentina decide to step up their pursuit, they are understood to hold a clear structural benefit in negotiations: Mastantuono also holds Italian citizenship.

That status means he would not occupy a non-EU squad slot in Serie A, an important factor given the restrictions on registering players from outside the European Union. For Fiorentina, that removes a potential bureaucratic obstacle and makes the deal more attractive from a squad-planning perspective.

Fulham, meanwhile, as previously reported by AS, are also keen on taking Mastantuono on loan for one season as they look to add creativity and goal threat in advanced midfield areas in the Premier League.

Real Madrid stance: loan only

Real Madrid’s position is that any move for Mastantuono this summer would only be considered as a temporary deal. The club are not prepared to lose control of the player, either through a permanent transfer or any arrangement that weakens their long-term rights.

The European champions see Mastantuono as a long-term prospect at the Bernabeu and are wary of his age – still only 18 – as well as the substantial fee of €63.2m they committed to sign him last summer. For those reasons, a loan is currently viewed as the only acceptable solution if he is to leave the club in this window.

No buying option or permanent clause has been mentioned at this stage, with Real Madrid intent on retaining full say over the midfielder’s future once any loan spell ends.

Pre-season meeting adds extra twist

The developing transfer story will have an additional subplot in early August, when Real Madrid face Fiorentina in a pre-season friendly.

The match, scheduled for 1 August, is Real Madrid’s first official warm-up fixture ahead of the new campaign and could provide Fiorentina with a close-up look at Mastantuono if he features for Carlo Ancelotti’s side.

The fixture also offers an opportunity for further dialogue between the clubs over a possible loan agreement, with Fiorentina weighing the benefits of his Italian passport and versatile attacking profile, and Real Madrid looking to balance his development needs with their determination to keep him within their long-term plans.

For now, Mastantuono remains a Real Madrid player, but with Fiorentina and Fulham both pushing for a temporary deal, his immediate future is set to be one of the more closely watched subplots of the closing stages of the summer transfer window.