Vinicius Jr is delighted to see Real Madrid fight off competition from Premier League giants Arsenal and Newcastle United with Fenerbahce wonderkid Arda Guler on his way to the La Liga giants.
For all those wondering if this is a classic case of ‘too much, too soon,’ Vinicius himself is proof of the fact that if you are good enough, then you are most certainly old enough.
Real Madrid made Vinicius the most expensive 16-year-old in football history back in 2017. And while that staggering £38 million move raised more eyebrows than Carlo Ancelotti in a Cadbury’s advert at the time, absolutely no one is questioning Vinicius’ price-tag these days; an inspired transfer ageing better than the finest bottle of single malt.
The hope will be that Arda Guler – at just 18 – can follow in Vinicius’ footsteps.
Real Madrid win race for Fenerbahce’s Arda Guler
Both Arsenal and Newcastle United held talks with the twinkle-toed teenager earlier in the summer, according to Turkish Football, but Guler will instead join Los Blancos after Real agreed a fee that could rise to £26 million – much to Vinicius’ delight.
“Another one who chooses the greatest (club),” the 2022 Champions League winner writes on social media in response to Guler’s impending arrival.
Guler only turned 18 in February. But, cutting in to devastating effect from the right-wing for both Fenerbahce and the Turkish national team, Guler is living up to Mesut Ozil’s prediction that we could be witnessing the rise of a genuine ‘world star’.
The Madrid-bound playmaker scored six goals and set up seven more for Fener last term, and showcased his supreme talents to a wider audience with a glorious finish against Wales during June’s European Championship qualifiers.
“Arda Guler is one of the most prominent names here,” the legendary Andrea Pirlo tells Hurriyet of a player he came up against during his time in charge of Super Lig outfit Fatih Karagumruk.
“We can call him a player in the ‘champion’ prototype. One of the players that can come closest to reaching the highest level.
“He is a promising player with very important quality, view of the game, technique, everything. But he has to continue to evolve. He has to keep improving every day.
“I can say that he has the ability to reach the level of Europe and even the world.”
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