What Vinicius Tobias must do to earn a permanent Real Madrid transfer
Real Madrid have signed a right back before the 2022/23 season. Granted, he is not a full-time starter at right back, and Madridistas should not consider this dire need adequately addressed. But at the very least, Florentino Perez has brought in a young, promising talent at a position of need for both the present and future. With Vinicius Tobias signed, Real have part of the future covered.
The latest Vinicius to join the Madrid squad, Tobias is a fast, high-upside right back whose attacking potential is lauded. He has the ability to develop into a starter for Los Blancos one day, and he should already be considered a part of the picture despite being signed to Castilla initially in order to circumvent LaLiga’s rule regarding European Union slots.
Los Merengues did not acquire Vinicius to be a short-term loan acquisition for depth. They signed this promising 18-year-old in the hopes that he can one day earn a permanent transfer. As part of this deal with recent Champions League opponents Shakhtar Donetsk, Real have an option to buy, which could be for around 18 million euros.
So how can Vinicius Tobias earn a permanent, dream move to the Santiago Bernabeu? How can he show Real that he is worth an 18 million euro investment?
Vinicius Tobias will get a first-team chance from Real Madrid at some point
We cannot place too many expectations on an 18-year-old right back. It is very, very rare for a player that age to establish themselves as a starter at any position defensively, including as an attacking right back.
So the key for Vinicius is going to be to, first, dominate in Castilla. He must show that he is levels above the competition there. That does not mean he has to be the Man of the Match every game or anything like that, but it should be clear that he has a different level of athletic, technical, and mental ability than the rest. I have little doubts about any of this.
He will, invariably, be called up to the first team for some action. It will happen. And Real Madrid will facilitate this in order to put their loan acquisition to the test, because only against the senior competition will Los Merengues truly understand if he is worth the investment.
Remember, though, Real have shown a willingness to invest in promising young talents. Rodrygo Goes, Vinicius Jr., and, Reinier were all signed for at least 30 million euros. These were pre-pandemic prices, and Vinicius Tobias is a right back compared to these attacking talents. The point remains, though, Los Blancos are not only prepared to pay 18 million euros, but they are also expecting Tobias to prove he is worth the money.
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If he can shine in Castilla and hold his own on the few appearances he makes with the first team, he will get that move. Now, if he can do even more than that and, dare I say, become someone who pushes for starts (unlikely but not impossible by any means), then he will guarantee a move and fulfill the dream scenario for Real. But realistically, as long as he shows promise, progress, and maturity, he will be a Madridista for a long time to come. That is the hope with signing him to this loan deal, and I think there is a quietly confident expectation in Valdebebas that the young Brazilian right back will do just that.