Real Madrid summer arrival hits rock bottom causing concern at club

There was a lot of hope pinned on Franco Mastantuono when he joined Real Madrid from River Plate last summer.

Despite his age, the forward was regarded as one of the biggest talents in South American football and was expected to make an immediate impact at the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, he has had a rollercoaster of a season and not in a good way, having mostly struggled with injuries and bad form. And in recent weeks, it has gone from bad to worse.

According to AS , Mastantuono’s poor form, which has seen him fall behind in the pecking order, has caused major concern in the Real Madrid camp.

The teenager has hit rock bottom, losing both his place in the starting eleven and the footballing spark he previously showed in flashes against Levante and Monaco.

The decline was painfully evident during the match against Getafe. In just 22 minutes, Mastantuono failed to reach 50% accuracy in either passing or dribbling, finishing with a meagre 17 touches.

Mastantuono is not having a good time at Real Madrid . (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

This follows a timid cameo against Benfica, where his impact was equally non-existent. Despite his €63.2 million price tag, he is currently averaging just 48 minutes per appearance, a figure that does not befit a regular starter.

To make matters worse, Mastantuono received an unjustifiable straight red card in the 95th minute against Getafe for allegedly insulting referee Muniz Ruiz.

He now faces a two-match suspension . This means he could be sidelined in La Liga until the Madrid derby, missing crucial fixtures against Celta Vigo and Elche.

The situation is particularly frustrating for Alvaro Arbeloa, who initially made a bold bet on the youngster.

With a total 1,204 minutes played but little to show for it, the concern at the Madrid camp is serious, especially considering the fact that the club have just lost Kylian Mbappe and Rodrygo due to injury .