Manchester United join race to sign 17-year-old Argentine wonderkid wanted by Real Madrid and Chelsea: Reports

Manchester United have reportedly entered the race to sign Argentine teenage sensation Franco Mastantuono, who is wanted by Real Madrid and Chelsea as well. The 17-year-old has emerged as one of South America's leading talents after impressing in the colors of River Plate in Argentina's top-flight.

An Argentine youth international, Mastantuono is the third-youngest player to feature in an official match for River Plate and the youngest to score for the side. His potential has not gone unnoticed, with clubs around Europe queuing up to sign him.

Diario AS journalist Eduardo Burgos has claimed that Manchester United have also joined the race to sign the 17-year-old phenom. The Red Devils are looking to recruit some of the best young talent in world football, and they have identified Mastantuono as a target.

Franco Mastantuono has already crossed paths with multiple Argentine football legends in his career. Pablo Aimar invited him to the U-17 national team set-up, just as Javier Mascherano did with the U-20 team, and Martin Demichelis gave him his professional debut.

Mastantuono's development is being closely monitored by multiple sides in Europe and Real Madrid were reportedly close to signing him in the summer. Chelsea have been very aggressive in the South American market, signing both Kendry Paez and Estevao Willian, and were also in for him.

Franco Mastantuono is a good target for European clubs because he will not need to wait until he's 18 to make the switch. The youngster possesses dual Argentine-Italian citizenship, meaning he can join a European club as soon as a deal is struck.

With 33 senior appearances to his name, the youngster, who turned 17 in August, has firmly established himself as a first-team player.

Real Madrid remain keen on Chelsea youngster - Reports

Real Madrid are interested in signing Chelsea teenage sensation Josh Acheampong in the coming months, as per The Independent. The European champions reportedly have a long-standing interest in the 18-year-old defender.

Acheampong made his professional debut for the Blues in the 2023-24 season and has appeared once this season in the EFL Cup win over Barrow. The 18-year-old is capable of playing at right-back and centre-back.

Real Madrid find themselves in need of right-back cover after the season-ending ACL injury to Dani Carvajal earlier this month. Acheampong is one of the names on their list, but the youngster is appreciated by Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca, which could make a move difficult.