In March 2017, popular football magazine FourFourTwo asked the question that was on everybody’s lips when the news filtered through that Real Madrid were investing a colossal £37 million fee in Flamengo wonderkid Vinicius Junior before he had even made his senior debut.
“Who the heck is the 16-year-old Real Madrid will pay 45 million euros for?” they queried, not without justification.
Now, it’s fair to say Vinicius has had his ups and downs in the Spanish capital. Not so long ago, Karim Benzema was caught lambasting his team-mate after yet another wasteful display from a player frequently criticised at the time for a lack of end product.
But as Vinicius slotted home a Fede Valverde cross in the Champions League final against Liverpool back in May – his 22nd goal of a remarkable season in which the brilliant Brazilian undoubtedly established himself as a genuinely world-leading talent – it was tempting to look back on all the furore, the downright incredulity that greeted his world-record 2017 arrival and conclude that Real Madrid got it right.
£33 million, in hindsight, very well spent indeed. Ask yourself this, how much would Vinicius cost now, at the age of 22? £100 million, at least. Perhaps Neymar’s status as the world’s most expensive-ever player would come under threat.
Vinicius Junior should be an inspiration for Endrick de Sousa
Of course, just because Vinicius Jr blossomed at one of the biggest clubs on planet earth, there is no guarantee that such success can be repeated. Reinier Jesus, another teenager who joined Real from Flamengo for big-money, is proof of that.
But before you scoff at claims from Brazilian journalist Jorge Nicola, suggesting that Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United may be lining up bids for Endrick de Sousa (a 16-year-old with a £33 million release clause in his Palmeiras contract), it’s worth remembering the journey Vinicius embarked upon in Madrid; from mega-money mystery man to Champions League match-winner.
“I think he’s like a Ronaldo or Romario. So far, he has shown brilliant finishing potential,” UOL reporter Daniel Lavieri says of Enrick; who, like Vinicius, has not yet played a single senior game.
He has, however, scored six goals in seven games for Palmeiras‘ U20s this season. Now YouTube compilations are always tricky to decipher. A well-edited montage can, after all, make even the most Stella-fuelled Sunday League players look like Kylian Mbappe. But Endrick’s is chock-full of moments of mind-bending magic us mortals could not even dream of; from rainbow flicks to electrifying bursts of acceleration.
‘He’s like Ronaldo or Romario’
“He is doing very well,” Lavieri adds of a player who’s performances arguably outstrip those of Vinicius and even Neymar at youth level.
“He is very strong and he has a very good finishing skills. We are looking at the new promise of Brazilian football. Manchester City, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Chelsea and other teams have an eye on him.”
“The teams are drooling over him. He met Real Madrid, PSG, Inter, AC Milan,” adds agent Wagner Ribero (ESPN).
Endrick, Ribero adds, cannot leave Palmeiras ‘until he turns 18.’ When that day arrives, his future might have already been decided. But while whoever wins the race will inevitably have to put up with all the scrutiny that follows signing a teenager for £33 million, they need only point those critics in the direction of Vinicius Junior.
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