Real Madrid’s best signing. No, we are not talking about a player, but about José Antonio Calafat de Souza Faria known as “Juni” Calafat. This name may not mean anything to you. And yet, this man in the shadows is behind several big transfers made by the Merengues in recent years. Close to Ronaldo and especially Roberto Carlos, who allowed him to get a foothold in Casa Blanca, this Brazilian-Spanish was recruited in 2014 as an expert in South American football. Florentino Pérez, who could not bear to see Neymar Jr pass under his nose to join FC Barcelona, decided to bet on him in order to be his eyes in South America and no longer miss any talent.
Calafat has therefore got his hands on Federico Valverde, Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo and even Endrick in recent years. If all his moves have not necessarily worked, we think for example of Reinier, he has managed to gain the respect and trust of Madrid’s leaders, who give him carte blanche to find the stars of tomorrow. Recently, Juni Calafat’s talent detector began to tick when he saw a certain Franco Mastantuono at work. Aged 16, this young attacking midfielder went to River de Azul then Club Cemento before catching the eye of River Plate. Number 30 on the back, the player born in 2007 made his professional debut this year.
Real Madrid in competition with PSG and Barça
Indeed, he participated in 9 matches in all competitions, including 3 as a starter (351 minutes played). The Argentinian, who is already very important in the eyes of his coach Martin Demichelis, also scored a goal. It was last February 7 in the Argentine Cup against Excursionistas (3-0 victory). He became the club’s youngest scorer, ahead of a certain Lucas Ocampos. A.S.. A few days later, he made a good start during the clash against Boca Juniors (1-1), as he almost gave his team victory with a volley. Argentinian international U17 then U20, he is considered a great hope in the country. For all these reasons, but above all because he has immense talent, Juni Calafat fell under his spell.
TNT Sports reveals that the residents of the Santiago-Bernabéu stadium are very interested in his services and even intend to make an offer for him in 2025, the year his contract expires. A year when he will also reach his majority, which will allow him to reach Europe without problem. But the Merengues are not the only ones on the 16-year-old player. Indeed, FC Barcelona is also on the case according to A.S.. Same thing for Paris Saint-Germain, which likes to recruit talent from this region of the world. This winter, Luis Campos and the Parisians got their hands on the Brazilians Lucas Beraldo (20 years old) and Gabriel Moscardo (18 years old). If no price has been revealed, the value of the player is estimated at 4 million euros according to the specialized site Transfermarkt. He will certainly go for much more, he who already has prestigious suitors on his heels.
