Who is Franco Mastantuono, Fiorentina’s fabulous new signing from Real Madrid?

Fiorentina has signed Franco Mastantuono. The Argentine, born in 2007 and considered one of South American soccer’s rising stars, will wear the Viola jersey next season. After joining Real Madrid last summer from River Plate for 45 million euros, Mastantuono—who had been a regular starter under Xabi Alonso—gradually lost his place in the team’s plans.

New coach José Mourinho had no plans for him and gave the green light for a loan move to the Italian league: Fiorentina was the quickest among the suitors for the player and struck a deal with Real Madrid. Mastantuono will arrive on a straight loan, and Real Madrid will pay 50% of the player’s hefty salary. According to La Nazione, a phone call from Fiorentina coach Fabio Grosso on Tuesday also played a decisive role.

The Argentine also holds an Italian passport and will not occupy a non-EU slot on the Fiorentina roster. Mastantuono, who arrives in Italy eager to redeem himself after a very difficult season in Spain, was the youngest debutant in River Plate’s history. A natural attacking midfielder, he can play both behind the center forward and on either wing. He has a great left foot, excellent vision, and is a skilled dribbler: Grosso will need to find the right conditions to help him perform at his best and unleash his immense talent.

He has played four matches for the Argentine national team, but was not selected by Scaloni for the last World Cup in South America, partly due to his difficult final season at Real Madrid, where he played a total of 34 matches and scored three goals. Mastantuono had confided to Mourinho himself his intention to move to Italy, explicitly ruling out other leagues: “I’m going to Italy,” the Special One reportedly said, following in the footsteps of Nico Paz. In addition to Fiorentina, both Milan and Roma had also made inquiries with the player’s entourage, with the Rossoneri having seriously evaluated his profile in recent weeks as an alternative to Matias Soulé.