Real Madrid were always going to have a couple of more young stars on the 20-man Golden Boy shortlist for 2020.
There is so much young talent at Real Madrid, whether that talent is already playing for the first team, getting minutes on loan, or developing in Castilla.
Tuttosport has announced it’s 20 Golden Boy nominations who will be the finalists to compete for the prestigious prize, awarded to the best player under the age of 21.
And Real Madrid, to nobody’s surprise, had a couple of representatives on the list. Both are wide forwards, as Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes are in the running for the award.
Rodrygo had an encouraging 2019-2020 season for Los Blancos and was the starting right winger before Marco Asensio returned from injury. Now, he is struggling for playing time despite his prodigious talent.
Vinicius Junior is already a key player for Real Madrid
Meanwhile, Vinicius is the starting left winger with Eden Hazard injured, and it’s possible he holds onto that spot even after Hazard returns from injury. Vinicius has scored in back-to-back games against Real Valladolid and Levante.
But Madridistas aren’t just interested in their own players on the Golden Boy final list. No, no, because Real Madrid have such interest in signing top young players, fans are also interested in taking a look at which other names made the cut.
Erling Haaland and Eduardo Camavinga definitely stand out, as they are two dream transfer targets for Los Blancos in the next two transfer windows. Camavinga could transform the midfield, and Haaland is maybe the best finisher of any young player in world football.
Alphonso Davies and Jadon Sancho are two other players many Madrid fans would like to see the team target, though neither seems like a realistic possibility. Davies is basically untransferable to Bayern Munich and Real already have Ferland Mendy with Miguel Gutierrez developing, while Sancho is more of a backup plan for Real.
It’s wonderful to see Vinicius and Rodrygo on this list. They are two extraordinary players who are developing well and have the potential to be Ballon d’Or finalists in the coming years.