Madrid, December 30 (NA) -- Napoli inquired about the conditions for midfielder Franco Mastantuono, but Real Madrid, the owner of his pass, categorically ruled out any possibility of ceding him and reaffirmed that the Argentine youngster is a central part of their future project. The interest arose in recent hours from Italy, where the Neapolitan club, led by Antonio Conte, evaluated the chance of signing the attacker on loan to give him continuity. However, as learned by the Argentine News Agency, the response from the Casa Blanca was blunt and closed the door even before receiving a formal offer for the former River player. According to the newspaper Marca, in Valdebebas they consider Mastantuono to be 'one of the cornerstones of long-term planning' and highlight the potential he showed during his time at River, so the club's position is clear: not to part with a player in whom they have full confidence. Mastantuono was presented as a reinforcement for Real Madrid on August 14, the same day he turned 18, and debuted just five days later against Osasuna at the Santiago Bernabéu. His breakthrough generated immediate expectations, although a groin injury suffered at the beginning of November against Valencia interrupted his continuity and conditioned his adaptation. This scenario fueled rumors of a possible exit in the January market, quickly deactivated by the club. In line with the institutional stance, journalist Fabrizio Romano stated that 'reports indicating that Franco Mastantuono will leave Real Madrid on loan are far from reality' and emphasized that both the management and Xabi Alonso consider him an important piece of the project. In his time at the club, Mastantuono has played 14 official matches, with one goal in La Liga and one assist in the Champions League. After overcoming this physical setback, the Argentine had limited participation: he came on for a minute against Alavés and played 66 minutes against Talavera in the Copa del Rey.
