Who is new Real Madrid signing Vinicius Junior?

Aditya Devavrat 00:08 24/05/2017
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  • Real Madrid splashing the cash is nothing out of the ordinary. Neither is a relatively unknown Brazilian player making the jump to one of Europe’s biggest leagues.

    But even by the ludicrous standards the modern game has set of late, the €45 million fee the La Liga champions have forked up for Vinicius Junior is still eye-popping.

    Vinicius who? Exactly.

    The 16-year-old only began training with Flamengo’s first-team earlier this month, before making his professional debut on May 13. But he was being heavily scouted by some of Europe’s top clubs well before that, with both Manchester United and Barcelona said to have made enquiries.

    The fact that Vinicius has been likened to both Neymar and Robinho, only adding to the hype. The comparisons stem from his habit of dropping deep to receive the ball before embarking on skillful, mazy runs, leaving multiple defenders trailing in his wake.

    However, the difference between Madrid’s new starlet and both of those players is that already, at the age of 16, the Flamengo youngster has more of a physical presence and has the ability to hold off defenders – although that comes with the caveat that he’s only ever played against defenders his age.

    Whether he can replicate that against bigger and more experienced defenders remains to be seen. But he’s definitely not the wiry young kids Neymar and Robinho were in their youth.

    Allied with his strength and mesmerising skill are explosive pace and an eye for goal, as his returns at junior tournaments show. He was the top scorer at the South American U-17 championships earlier this year, scoring seven times for Brazil. At that tournament, Vinicius also showed his penchant for scoring from outrageous lobs – including one from an impossibly tight angle.

    In general, the youngster’s displays so far suggests that he’s a natural finisher, scoring 19 goals in 22 games at the U-17 level.

    Vinicius can play anywhere across the front three, but seems to especially enjoy playing on the left and cutting in – another similarity to Neymar.

    He will be eligible to move to Madrid once he turns 18 next July, although some reports suggest the plan is for Vinicius to remain in Brazil for another year after that.

    The hope now is that he’ll live up to the Neymar comparisons, or at least replicate the success that Gabriel Jesus has enjoyed so far at Manchester City, rather than flattering to deceive like a host of Brazilian youngsters who made big-money moves to Europe early in their careers.

    In any case, now that his transfer has been agreed, there’s no doubt that observers will be following Vinicius’ development with a keener eye.

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