(Reuters) -Real Madrid have signed 17-year-old midfielder Franco Mastantuono from Argentine side River Plate on a six-year contract, the LaLiga club said on Friday.

The Spanish outfit had agreed to sign Mastantuono for about $45 million last week and the talented teenager, who can also play on the wing, will be a Real Madrid player from August 14.

Having come through River Plate's youth system, Mastantuono was part of the first team in the 2024-25 season. In February last year, he becane the youngest scorer in River's history.

He also became the youngest at 17 to play an official match for Argentina when he featured in their World Cup qualifier against Chile last week.

Mastantuono had been linked to top European clubs such as Manchester United and Paris St Germain after a stunning free kick in River Plate's Superclasico win over Boca Juniors in April put him on the map.

Mastantuono is Real's third close-season recruit after they signed Premier League defenders Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)