Real Madrid will play their first preseason friendly today. The Merengues have arrived in the Austrian city of Klagenfurt, where they’ll face Fiorentina, marking the first significant test for José Mourinho’s squad.
Los Blancos announced their squad for the match yesterday, and a key highlight was the absence of striker Franco Mastantuono. After participating in two training matches last week, the Argentine has been omitted from the lineup to mitigate any injury risks as he nears a potential loan move away from the club.
While no loan destination has been confirmed yet, three Italian clubs have expressed interest, including Fiorentina, who are also the opponents in today’s friendly. In fact, Diario AS reports that the Serie A team intends to use the match as a platform to discuss acquiring the young forward.
Two key executives from Fiorentina, sporting director Fabio Paratici and general manager Alessandro Ferrari, are traveling to Austria for this purpose, aiming to expedite the signing of Mastantuono.
Real Madrid is equally motivated to finalize this deal promptly, as evidenced by his exclusion from today’s squad list.
Although the player’s agent has been advocating for a return to River Plate, the Merengues have dismissed that possibility, preferring that he continues his career in Europe. Despite Fiorentina not competing in the Champions League next season, they can offer him considerable playing time in an attacking midfield role, which may appeal to the Argentine.
Ultimately, the decision regarding Franco Mastantuono’s next destination will be made collaboratively by him and Real Madrid, with an announcement expected shortly.