LW Vinicius Junior
Vinicius Junior has “future superstar” written all over him, even though there seem to be quite a few Madridistas who are too stubborn to admit that the 20-year-old has all the tools necessary.
What impresses me the most about Vinicius – even beyond the skills on the pitch – is his determination to succeed. Being a young starter at Real Madrid is not easy, but Vini’s had to grow up faster than most due to Eden Hazard’s injuries. But he’s stepped up time after time, even after bouncing back from some ugly struggles.
Take his recent displays, for example. Vinicius was one of the players who had a nightmare match against Alcoyano, and he followed that up with a poor showing off the bench vs. Levante. But then after Hazard’s latest injury, Vini immediately turned it around in a win at Huesca and then delivered an assist in another strong performance against Getafe.
Vinicius Junior should stay. But there are rumors that Real Madrid could try to sell him in order to afford Kylian Mbappe this summer. Over the past year, there have been rumors linking PSG to Vinicius, as it seems to be no secret that their sporting director Leonardo is an admirer of his. PSG drive a hard bargain for Mbappe, so if Florentino Perez wants his ultimate Galactico, he may have to use a young forward to make the move.
Many Madridistas would not want to see a player with Vinicius’ talent going the other way. But there are other fans who would understand the move, if it were the only way to procure the generational talent and primary goal-scorer that is Mbappe.