River Plate board member Stefano Di Carlo has insisted that talented youngster Franco Mastantuono will remain with the club for the rest of 2025 despite reported interest from Chelsea and Manchester United.
Mastantuono is the latest highly-rated prospect to come out of the same academy that has produced Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez and Manchester City's Claudio Echeverri.
The 17-year-old has already featured in 55 first-team matches for River Plate, including 13 competitive appearances during the current campaign.
Mastantuono has scored four goals and provided two assists this term, with his latest goal arriving in Sunday's Superclasico against Boca Juniors.
The River Plate star produced a stunning long-range free kick to give his side a 25th-minute lead in the 2-1 home victory, reminding all of his potential suitors about his quality and sky-high potential.
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Chelsea, Man United suffer Mastantuono setback
A recent report claimed that Man United are keeping tabs on the teenager's progress, while Chelsea are among the other clubs that have been linked with his Mastantuono's signature.
However, their hopes of signing Mastantuono this summer have seemingly been dented following comments from River Plate's general secretary.
Di Carlo was clear in his response when asked about whether the youngster would stay with River Plate until at least the end of 2025.
"Yes, yes, that's a certainty already," Di Carlo replied in an interview with ESPN SportsCenter.
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When could Mastantuono leave River Plate?
The Argentina Under-20 international will turn 18 in August, meaning that he would be eligible to depart in the summer transfer window.
However, it appears that River Plate are keen to retain his services until the end of the year, even though he has a release clause in his contract.
As per The Athletic, his release clause has risen to €50m (£43m) from its initial figure of €45m (£38m).
With his contract set to expire in December 2026, River Plate looks set to entertain a potential sale in the next winter transfer window.
Not only will they have to be patient, but Chelsea and Manchester United may have to fend off interest from elsewhere, with Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid believed to be showing an interest.
