Scaloni approves Alonso's plan for Franco Mastantuono

One of Real Madrid's key figures in the first three matchdays of the current league campaign is Franco Mastantuono. The number 30 of the white squad has only been part of the club's sporting discipline for a few weeks, but he seems to have earned a spot in Xabi Alonso's starting eleven.

This is what the Tolosa coach would have shown, placing him in the starting line-up against Real Oviedo and Real Mallorca. While it's true that neither of those two matches produced a memorable performance, his play leaves behind metrics that meet the standards of the analysts on the new merengue coaching staff.

Despite the sudden popularity the Argentine attacking midfielder has gained, the Valdebebas offices have no hesitation in sending a message of calm. The footballer's rapid growth, having just turned 18 years old, leads some to see him as one of the leaders of the current merengue squad. Nothing could be further from the truth, the club's leadership points out, since that role is stillfar off for the young Argentine talent.

The Madrid leadership is clear: he is still not ready to be as prominent as some white supporters have suggested in recent times. The words of Lionel Scaloni, Argentina's head coach, reflect that well-crafted plan by the board to manage Mastantuono's first months with the first team.

Step by step

"I see Mastantuono doing well, his club is handling him in a positive way. His teammates are supporting him" in the midst of a very demanding environment in which Mastantuono finds himself as a newcomer. The coach from Santa Fe hinted that "he could be an option for tomorrow's match, and also Nico Paz, who played in Chile and showed he is up to the level".

Given this, Franco Mastantuono will gradually take on more responsibility both at Real Madrid and with the Argentine national team. Both teams need new leaders, especially the South American national team, to ensure generational change in their locker rooms.

That's why Real Madrid, amid doubts about who will take control of the right flank in its tactical system, has drafted Franco Mastantuono. Xabi Alonso has decided to give him a certain level of prominence during the first matchdays, an idea that greatly appeals to Santiago Solari. The football director of the white squad is one of the main stakeholders in the success of the number 30.

Not only because of his emotional bond with Mastantuono: he was one of the architects of this last-minute signing against all odds. Also because of his professional connection with the successor to Ángel di María in the merengue team. Since 2014, when the former number 22 left for Manchester United, this country had lacked a representative in Santiago Bernabéu locker room.