"They treated me incredibly at Real Madrid; the people at the club and my teammates were amazing," Franco Mastantuono told DAZN Italia's programme 'My Skills', which blends football and technique with the gaming world.

"I love Bellingham, he is my favourite player at Madrid. Even though they have Vinicius, Mbappe, Valverde, Brahim, who is brilliant. Now Diomande, Espi. They have an incredible squad," said the Argentine, who moved to the 'Viola' on a season-long loan this summer.

Mastantuono, who arrived in Florence as a marquee signing and swiftly established himself as one of the team's key figures, stressed that the Argentina national team boasts "many top-level players".

He also reflected on what it meant to share a dressing room with Messi, who played his final match for the 'Albiceleste' on 7 October.

"It was incredible. Being on a team sheet or sharing anything in football with Messi is the ultimate honour for me. It is the pinnacle of what can happen to a player, because Messi broke every record," he recalled, describing his farewell as "very sad".

Turning his focus to Serie A, he noted that the Italian top flight is similar to Argentine football "in terms of physical clashes", adding that he enjoys it "a lot".

"It is very different to the Spanish league. Every team possesses great technical quality, making it a competition with more possession and less dribbling, but it is enjoyable too," he maintained.

Mastantuono spearheaded Fiorentina's only two league victories so far, scoring against Sassuolo and bagging a hat-trick against Venezia.

However, his performances have not been enough to salvage his team's poor start, with the side languishing in 16th place after two wins, two draws, and six defeats.

That slump prompted a managerial change, bringing the return of Paolo Vanoli following the dismissal of Stefano Pioli.