Mastantuono takes off at Fiorentina and eyes Real Madrid return

Real Madrid C.F.

The arrival of Paolo Vanoli on the Fiorentina bench has been especially beneficial for the 19-year-old. The coach is giving him greater freedom to move away from the right flank and get involved inside, operating as a No 10 and even as a second striker.

This tweak allows the Argentine to return to his natural position, as during his development at River Plate and in Argentina's youth sides he usually played through the middle. His move to the wing began under Martin Demichelis and later continued at Real Madrid, where he never managed to establish himself properly under Xabi Alonso or Alvaro Arbeloa.

The change has already produced encouraging signs. Against Juventus, Mastantuono was involved in the build-up to Njie's goal and came close to scoring the winner himself.

Four goals and a historic record in Italy

The turning point came against Venezia, when Mastantuono scored a hat-trick that made him the youngest player ever to do so in Europe's top five leagues, surpassing Leo Messi's record, according to AS.

The Argentine also scored against Sassuolo and, after the latest international break, strung together six matches as Fiorentina's highest-rated player.

His performances stand out even more given the Italian side's struggles: they had built a squad to fight for Europe, but ended up drifting dangerously close to the relegation places.

Despite the pressure, Mastantuono has shown commitment since arriving. He installed a gym in his home, started learning Italian and earned the dressing room's respect for his attitude in training.

Real Madrid and Argentina are still keeping a close eye on his progress

The loan to Fiorentina was agreed with Real Madrid to aid his development. His growth in Italy takes on particular importance ahead of his return to the white shirt once the loan ends.

Meanwhile, Mastantuono is also part of the debate over Argentina's future No 10 shirt after Leo Messi's retirement from international football. Nico Paz is currently the best placed player, according to the journalists consulted by AS, although the Fiorentina man still has plenty of room to improve.

The Argentine himself is avoiding comparisons and prefers to focus on improving his performances and helping his team overcome the difficulties of the season.