7 brilliant players who are simply too good to be playing in Argentina

Former Manchester United, Sevilla and West Ham United stars are among the seven brilliant players we believe are simply too good to be playing in Argentina.

The Argentine Primera Division is always plenty of fun to keep up with. The league is packed with rising ballers and older stars of years gone by who are playing out the final years of their careers.

We’ve taken a closer look at the league and have found seven players who we can’t believe are currently playing in Argentina.

Franco Mastantuono

The likes of Real Madrid and Manchester United have been tracking Mastantuono in recent months.

Currently playing for River Plate, the 17-year-old wonderkid has been catching the eye of fans in his native country. He’s still a raw prospect, but the potential is obvious to see.

And he holds an Italian passport alongside an Argentinian one, which would make a move across the Atlantic less complicated than it otherwise might have.

While Transfermarkt deems his market value to be €15million, it could take as much as €50million (his release clause) in order to prize him away from Argentina.

Expect to see Mastantuono in Europe very soon.

Valentin Gomez

A talented 21-year-old defender for Velez Sarsfield, Gomez has recently admitted he is open to a move to Europe after the conclusion of the Argentine league season.

With a €10million valuation on Transfermarkt, Gomez should be attainable for the majority of big league clubs and has been linked with both Inter Milan and Leicester this January.

“First I’ll go on holiday. I think I deserve it, I played a lot of matches this year,” Gomez said in a recent interview. “Then I’ll see what decision I make.

“The reality is, I’d like to continue to grow in European football. So I’ll see whether that’s a possibility. Let’s see if any club is willing to make a move to sign me.”

Edinson Cavani

Now aged 37, your spirits will soar at the knowledge that El Matador is still doing the business.

Since joining Boca Juniors last year, the Uruguayan forward has bagged 23 goals in 55 appearances.

“What we like most about him is how he puts himself at the service of the team, how he always tries to be an example and help the team,” Boca manager Diego Martinez told reporters when discussing Cavani.

Former club Manchester United could do with a player like that and we reckon Cavani could still do a job at Old Trafford.

Manuel Lanzini

During his best years at West Ham, Lanzini always had a trick or two up his sleeve. After falling down the pecking order in east London, the 31-year-old re-joined River Plate in the summer.

He managed to get his hands on a couple of trophies last season, but has been linked with a move away from the Buenos Aries-based giants.

Sadly for us, who believe Lanzini could still tear it up in Europe, Brazilian club Vasco da Gama are the ones interested in the midfielder.

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Marcos Rojo

Rojo never quite hit the heights that were originally expected of him at Man Utd, but the defender certainly always wore his heart on his sleeve.

His passion for the game still shines through today as he now captains Boca Juniors. Since returning to his native country in 2020, the 34-year-old has won four trophies and seems to be a popular figure with the Boca Juniors faithful.

With Rojo on the pitch, there’s rarely a dull moment. We miss his unique brand of chaos, although blood-relative fellow Argentine Cristian Romero more than compensates.

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Ever Banega

Having spent four years playing in the Saudi Pro League before it was cool, Banega returned to Argentina earlier this year to sign for Newell’s Old Boys.

The former Sevilla midfielder penned a two-year deal with the Argentine club with the option of an extra year. We’re in no doubt that he’ll be a hit in his new surroundings, but it’s a crying shame we’ll never see him on Europa League Thursdays again.

Ramiro Funes Mori

After enjoying his peak years in Europe with Everton and Villarreal, Funes Mori re-joined River Plate last year after an eight-year absence.

With his contract valid until 2026, he’s not got any plans to retire any time soon and could feasibly still be knocking around in La Liga today.