Manchester City have “made a move” to snap up River Plate attacking midfielder Franco Mastantuono, according to Sport.

The Catalan publication claims that the Premier League champions are keen to secure the signature of the 16-year-old ahead of their rivals.

Barcelona, Real Madrid and Chelsea are also believed to be interested in Mastantuono, who signed his first professional contract last month.

The teenager won’t be available on the cheap, after putting pen to paper on an agreement with River Plate, and it’s likely that City would have to pay his release clause, which currently stands at €45m (£38.6m).

City have a strong relationship with Mastantuono’s club

The Manchester side signed Julian Alvarez from River Plate at the beginning of 2022. The forward remained on loan in Argentina for six months before making the move to the Etihad for the start of last season.

Claudio Echeverri was also signed by the Cityzens during the January transfer window, and the midfielder will remain at River Plate on a temporary basis until next year.

It means that Pep Guardiola’s side are in a strong position to reach a similar agreement for Mastantuono if they are prepared to pay his asking price.

What do fans need to know about Mastantuono?

Like Echeverri, the midfielder starred for Argentina during the Under 17 World Cup at the end of last year. He played six games at the tournament but all of them were as a substitute.

Mastantuono has made 10 appearances for his club at senior level. He made his debut against Argentinos Juniors in January and he has gone on to play in nine other matches.

As Mastantuono does have a European passport, he won’t have to wait until he is 18 to leave Argentina but, considering City’s past actions with young players, it’s likely that he would remain at River Plate on loan so he can gain more experience.