""He may be only 17 years old and heading to one of the world's grandest clubs in Real Madrid, but River Plate star Franco Mastantuono's path could have easily taken him on a different route to football. Real's incoming youngster once dreamed of becoming a YouTube star, while he was also a young maestro on the tennis court, travelling Argentina to play matches. What diverted him? He was just too good with the ball at his feet.""
""Franco's passage through our club left an indelible mark." Roberto Binzuna, the president of Cemento Armado, where Mastantuono earned his stripes before joining River, tells BBC Sport. "Only time will decide how long it lives on in our memory. "He's a sensational young man, with outstanding human and sporting characteristics, distinctive in whatever sport he played an exceptional tennis player and an even better footballer.""
""He officially makes the switch to La Liga after turning 18 in August. That comes after the Club World Cup, where Mastantuono aims to leave River on a high. Following a bright start, and having won the player of the match award in his last outing against Monterrey, his next challenge is helping the Group E leaders seal qualification for the last 16 against Inter Milan on Thursday (02:00 BST).""
Franco Mastantuono is a 17-year-old attacking midfielder moving from River Plate to Real Madrid, officially joining La Liga after his 18th birthday in August. River will receive €45m for the transfer while Real's total expenditure including taxes and other payments totals €63.2m, a record sale for Argentina's first division. Mastantuono previously aspired to be a YouTube star and excelled as a youth tennis player across Argentina. He won player of the match in his last outing against Monterrey and aims to leave River on a high at the Club World Cup. He holds one senior cap for Argentina and has earned strong praise for his human and sporting qualities.
Read at www.bbc.com
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