River Plate starlet Franco Mastantuono has reportedly emerged as a transfer target for a bottom-half Premier League club.
The 17-year-old is regarded as one of world football’s most highly-regarded prospects, the expectation being that he will eventually make the switch to Europe.
A total of seven goals and five assists have already been contributed from 55 appearances in all competitions, with 10 caps being earned for Argentina Under-20s.
Board member Stefano Di Carlo has recently insisted that River Plate have no plans to cash in on the youngster before the end of 2025, dealing a blow to his many suitors.
Nevertheless, as per Diario Ole, more than 17 clubs that are monitoring the situation should River Plate’s stance change.
The report claims that Wolverhampton Wanderers are among the teams that have made it known that they hold an interest in Mastantuono.
Wolves are currently the form team in European football’s five major leagues having recorded six successive victories in the Premier League.
Such a run will be at risk when they square off against Manchester City on Friday night, yet the West Midlands outfit have emerged as an alternative attractive option.
Liverpool, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain are also name-checked as being admirers of the playmaker, while there is known to be a long-standing interest from Chelsea and Manchester United.
A recent report suggested that there is a €50m (£43m) release clause in his contract, which is due to run until December 2026.
Do Wolves have any hope?
While there is no doubt that Wolves are massive outsiders in the race for Mastantuono on paper, this is a squad that boasts three Brazil internationals who have all advanced their careers at Molineux.
Players such as Vitinha and Diogo Jota have spent time at Wolves and eventually progressed onto bigger clubs, another factor that may encourage Mastantuono.
The biggest factor may be first-team football. Mastantuono’s former River Plate teammate Claudio Echeverri checked in at Manchester City earlier this year and the 19-year-old is yet to be granted his debut.
Mastantuono may take lessons from that scenario and choose his own route at a club that is not necessarily regarded as one of the biggest in Europe.
