“He’s a footballer who thinks” - River Plate academy chief says Franco Mastantuono is more similar to ex-Real Madrid star than Lamine Yamal

River Plate academy director Gabriel Orlando Rodríguez has compared new Real Madrid signing Franco Mastantuono to Colombian hero James Rodriguez. He believes that the youngster is also closer to former Argentine star Marcelo Gallardo than Barcelona's Lamine Yamal.

Speaking to AS, Rodriguez said that Mastantuono has the intelligence and qualities of the former Real Madrid star. He downplayed the comparison with Yamal, stating that the Argentine was not as explosive as the Barcelona teenager and said (via Managing Madrid):

"Well, they're the same age, but I see his style as much closer to James Rodríguez or Marcelo Gallardo, although River's current coach was right-footed. He's not as explosive as Yamal. He's a footballer who thinks, observes the field and his teammates, and analyzes the options the game offers him. He's very intelligent and has the ability to make the team better."

Real Madrid activated the €45 million release clause in the youngster's contract at River Plate earlier this summer. The Argentine still played at the FIFA Club World Cup, and will be making the move to Spain this month after he turns 18.

Real Madrid academy director comments on Real Madrid new signing's best qualities

Gabriel Orlando Rodríguez claimed that Franco Mastantuono's composure on the pitch is one of his best qualities. The River Place academy director added that they were confident the teenager would soon make a switch to a European club, and thus helped him adapt to the first team swiftly. He said (via Managing Madrid):

"When I discovered Mastantuono I was thrilled by his composure, the calm he had to make decisions on the field. Even then he was a very cerebral and intelligent player. I was also fascinated by his panoramic view of the game. It's almost impossible at that age to find players who understand how to move the pieces on the board and who know what they're going to do with the ball before receiving it. Obviously, he has great technical talent, but I'll stick with those two virtues of his football."

"We immediately saw that he was a player who would soon go to Europe, and we tried to adapt him to be better prepared for the future. He is a magnificent winger and can make the difference on both flanks. He arrives in Spain after great learning and a fantastic evolution."

Franco Mastantuono is the first Argentine player signed by Real Madrid since bringing in Angel Di Maris from Benfica in 2010. Their best signing from the South American country remains Gonzalo Higuaín, who also joined from River Plate and went on to score 121 goals in 264 matches for Los Blancos.