Real Madrid have agreed to sign River Plate's young forward Franco Mastantuono for an initial fee of about $45 million, a spokesman for the Argentine club told Reuters on Thursday.

But no-one inside Real Madrid believed PSG and Lucho would make such an aggressive move this week. As such, Real Madrid will now pay Mastantuono's clause and leave it with the player and River whether he moves to Spain this summer, or wait until January so the player can compete in the Copa Libertadores.

A representative of Real Madrid is in Buenos Aires to try to close the signing of River Plate star Franco Mastantuono, a source has told ESPN.