Episode 100 - Can this €63m wonderkid be Real Madrid’s Lamine Yamal? + CWC Check In

On this episode, Patrick and Neel discuss the Club World Cup attendance issues, players and teams to watch at the tournament, why this tournament matters for teams, and what YOU should care about in this competition. Then, Real Madrid have made a €63m for 17-year-old Franco Mastantuono. How does he fit the squad, what position will he player, and is this a smart move for Real Madrid? The episode finishes with a pair of transfer rumours, Tottenham linked to Arnaud Kalimuendo and Andy Robertson's potential move to Atletico Madrid. Enjoy! Neel's CWC Players to watch: https://www.thetransferflow.com/p/5-young-talents-outside-europe-to-watch-at-the-club-world-cup-59ec Subscribe to our FREE newsletter: https://www.thetransferflow.com/subscribe Join Variance Betting: https://www.thetransferflow.com/upgrade Follow us on our Socials: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe1WTKOt7byrELQcGRSzu1Q X: https://x.com/TheTransferFlow Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetransferflow.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetransferflow/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@transferflowpodcast Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 01:10 - Club World Cup attendance 02:20 - 500 people in attendance? + Why attendance is so low 03:40 - Timing + Cities the games are being played 04:35 - Does the CWC matter? 05:30 - Clubs who this tournament matters for + is the CWC too long? 06:25 - Bayern vs Auckland City = FIFA or OFC’s problem? 09:05 - Game that were more fun to watch 10:00 - FIFA vs UEFA competing for big games 11:03 - FIFA love money, but the CWC is great for small teams 12:35 - Rewarding teams for their Champions League success 14:10 - Pulling anti-racism campaigns + Fair trade analogy 15:38 - Gianni Infantino vs Sepp Blatter? 16:25 - Practical Issues with the CWC 17:48 - European Clubs may not be super interested 19:22 - The other teams are really going for it (money + proving themselves) 20:18 - All European semifinal? 20:35 - Other teams to watch out for - Al Ahly 21:34 - Botafogo + Lyon’s financial dependency 22:22 - Boca vs Benfica and Flamengo vs Esperance 23:09 - Mamelodi Sundowns 23:46 - Al Hilal and Inzaghi 24:38 - The talent Al Hilal have 25:36 - Why neutrals should enjoy this tournament 27:13 - Players linked to bigger clubs at the tournament 27:38 - Franco Mastantuono to Real Madrid for €63M 28:22 - Will he go straight into the team? + Diaz and Rodrygo 29:45 - What’s his best position? 30:42 - The talent coming out of River Plate 31:31 - River is VERY reliant on Mastantuano + his numbers 32:12 - Julian Alvarez comparison 32:56 - How will this transfer to Real Madrid? 34:12 - He will have to adapt his game a lot 35:10 - Similarities to Guler + Endrick, Diaz, and Rodrygo 36:25 - What will Xabi Alonso want to do? 37:23 - No clear path even in the long term? + Options if it doesn’t work 38:11 - Technical difficulties + How does he fit with Trent Alexander-Arnold? 38:57 - The CWC is a good place for Xabi Alonso to experiment 40:05 - Many of the European teams are in flux at this tournament 40:35 - Tottenham linked to Arnaud Kalimuendo + Will Son and Richarlison leave? 41:14 - He’s been getting interest for a while 42:15 - Does this move make sense? + fit with Thomas Frank 43:50 - What is his place in the squad? 44:59 - Jonathan David is free? But Kalimuendo is still just 23 46:07 - Andrew Robertson linked to Atletico Madrid? 47:10 - Atleti’s use of fullbacks + Robertson’s flexibility 48:30 - Atleti’s increasing squad age 49:40 - It’s ok only if it’s a reasonable fee 51:17 - Trippier comparison 51:45 - Atleti’s scouting is based on the amount of dog in a player 52:25 - DAZN’s Billion dollar spending 53:17 - Neel’s Players to watch at the CWC