Real Madrid have been busy this week. After confirming the sales of Gonzalo Garcia and Cesar Palacios in a double deal with Fulham, they have now agreed to loan out Franco Mastantuono for the upcoming 2026-27 season.
For several weeks, it has been taken for granted that Mastantuono will leave Real Madrid this summer. Bernardo Silva and Yan Diomande, who is expected to join from RB Leipzig soon, will push him down the pecking order on the right side of attack, where there was already Brahim Diaz and Endrick, and thus, the decision was made for him to depart on loan.
A number of clubs have come in for Mastantuono, but the player himself identified Fiorentina as his preferred destination. As per Fabrizio Romano, a deal has now been struck with the Serie A side, who will take him on loan for the entirety of the 2026-27 season.
Real Madrid hoping for Endrick-esque loan for Mastantuono
A loan move at this stage makes a lot of sense for Real Madrid and Mastantuono. He needs minutes to continue improving and adapting to European football, and he was simply not going to get them at the Bernabeu, given the competition he was facing. Italian football will provide a solid foundation, as it did for Nico Paz, who was sold back to Como earlier this summer after Los Blancos triggered their buy-back clause.
Real Madrid will hope that Mastantuono does as well at Fiorentina as Endrick did during his loan spell at Lyon during the second half of last season. The Brazil international was in top form in France, and on the back of his impressive performances, he has cemented himself as a staple in Mourinho’s squad for the upcoming season.
It remains to be seen how Mastantuono gets on at Fiorentina, but this loan move certainly has all the makings to be a success.
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