A new era was supposed to be dawning on Real Madrid two years ago when Kylian Mbappe arrived, but it has been a rocky road thus far with no trophies in back to back seasons. But the last time that happened to Real Madrid in the late 2000s, Florentino Perez hired the best manager on the planet, Jose Mourinho, and he brought the fight back to the club.
Real Madrid have done the same in 2026, with Florentino bringing back Mourinho to try and get Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, and Jude Bellingham to play as true superstars all together - and it is telling that as individual leaders for their countries, all three of them were brilliant this summer at the World Cup.
But Mourinho is not only hyperfocused on these three superstars. He has so many other big talents who are already or can become among the best in the world, and he is quietly falling in love with one player Juni Calafat was obsessed with bringing to Madrid.
Franco Mastantuono is impressing
According to a report from MARCA, via the Madrid Zone, Argentinian international playmaker Franco Mastantuono is one of the players who has impressed Jose Mourinho the most in preseason training thus far.
When Mou first took the job, many thought Mastantuono was in big trouble, as he looked like a flop in his first season at the Santiago Bernabeu. Now, Mastantuono is only a teenager making a huge leap from River Plate to the biggest club on the planet, but it was his attitude problem that truly annoyed Madridistas, along with his lack of a fit either as a 10 or on the wings with his profile.
But after talk of Mastantuono potentially even being sold, his name is only being floated as a loan candidate, and whlie it appears he will be loaned to get experience, Mourinho suddenly seems hesitant and wants to keep getting a look at the player.
Both Franco Mastantuono and Gonzalo Garcia are the names being mentioned the most by the Spanish press as the players - not just youngsters - who are turning Mourinho's head. They are candidates to go out on loan, but they are staking a claim to get opportunities now.
Mastantuono should still be loaned, but it is very encouraging that the strict Mourinho who usually does not like profiles like Mastantuono is changing his mind and loving him. Perhaps we all read the Argentinian teenager wrong.
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