Barcelona dealt blow as Real Madrid lead race to sign their 16-year-old transfer target - Reports

La Liga giants Barcelona have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of highly-rated 16-year-old Franco Mastantuono, with Sport suggesting that Real Madrid lead the race for his services.

The Argentine can be deployed as an attacking midfielder as well as on the wing, providing versatility alongside his incredible vision, ball control, and creativity.

He has made 11 appearances and scored two goals for the River Plate senior side after making the jump to the first team in January 2024. He has also been capped nine times for the Argentina under-17 side, including six at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2023, and has a goal and an assist to his name.

Reports suggest that Real have already established contact with the wonder kid's boyhood club River Plate, and have initiated discussions about a potential move.

Real Madrid's chief scout Juni Calafat and CEO Jose Sanchez have held meetings with River officials, and are aiming to finalize a transfer similar to those of Vinicius and Endrick. This would imply that the youngster would make the move to Europe after he turns 18.

Barcelona have been in financial strife for the last four years now, and have not balanced their books yet. This is why they have seemingly withdrawn from the race to sign Mastantuono despite their initial interest.

The Argentine has a €45 million release clause, which will allegedly rise to €50 million in the last 10 days of the upcoming transfer window. However, Real Madrid are looking to complete the transfer at a lower price, and are pursuing intense negotiations in an effort to secure a solid deal.

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Barcelona set to lose out on another South American wonderkid, most likely to the Premier League

Barcelona are set to lose out on the signing of another South American wonderkid in the form of 14-year-old Brazilian Gui Ruck from Real Valladolid, according to Mundo Deportivo.

The youngster is one of the most highly sought-after prospects in world football, and for good reason. He has already bagged eight goals and 14 assists in his first 23 games for the Valladolid academy.

Barcelona had previously tried to convince the youngster to move to their famed academy, La Masia, but didn't place a concrete offer on the table.

Ruck has reportedly traveled to England with his family and is likely to accept a transfer offer from one of the English sides in pursuit of his services.

The Premier League teams mentioned are Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest, who are allegedly engaged in an intense transfer battle for his services. However, his age is a massive issue due to post-Brexit permit laws and could be a big hurdle in his transfer until he turns 18.

It is seemingly too late for Barcelona to consider making a move for Ruck, who might lose out on another wonderkid after having potentially lost Franco Mastantuono to Real Madrid.