Real Madrid News
Vinicius reflects on Real Madrid’s season: “Would trade my goals for another UCL final”
Vinicius Junior was recently included in La Liga’s Team of the Season, along with four other Real Madrid players.
But the Brazilian international has admitted that he would have traded all his goals and assists for the season just so that he could succeed in the UEFA Champions League.
“I would trade all my goals & assists to be in another UCL final,” Vinicius said in a recent interview with ESPN (h/t Madrid Xtra).
The attacker’s comments come just a few days after Real Madrid’s humiliating defeat to Manchester City in the semifinal of the Champions League. The 5-1 aggregate defeat to the English champions poured water over Vinicius’ dream of retaining the UCL title.
“Everything I did this year just to not win the UCL & La Liga is a little frustrating for me,” said Vinicius, after Real Madrid also finished behind Barcelona in the race for the league title.
Vinicius has indeed been involved in 44 goals in all competitions this term – making him one of the most productive players in Europe. Unfortunately, his contributions did not translate into success for Real Madrid, who were a distant second in La Liga.
The Spanish giants were doing well in the Champions League, but a humiliating 4-0 defeat to Manchester City shattered their dreams. Vinicius himself was not up to the mark in the second half, notably getting outclassed by Kyle Walker, who was quite vocal after the win.
The Brazilian, though, is not ready to give up and has assured he will keep improving, in order to benefit the team. “I want to keep evolving and improving my numbers but always for the benefit of the team,” he said.
With just a few weeks remaining until the end of the season, Vinicius will indeed look to perform well in these final few matches and end the season on a positive note.
Real Madrid have identified the midfield department as a key area of the squad that needs strengthening next year.
Having failed to sign Rodri this past summer, the Merengues understand that a major signing is necessary in the position.
Several names have already been linked as potential targets for the Spanish capital club, one of whom happens to be AFC Bournemouth rising star Alex Scott.
Indeed, Real Madrid have scouted the England international this season and are continuing to closely monitor his development in the Premier League.
However, competition for the 23-year-old midfielder’s services is already heating up.
AC Milan eye Alex Scott
Indeed, according to Tutto Mercato (h/t AS), Italian giants AC Milan have set their sights on Scott to replace Real Madrid legend Luka Modric next season.
Modric, at 41, is entering the final phase of his career and his contract with the Rossoneri stands to expire at the end of the ongoing campaign.
As such, the Serie A heavyweights will need to rope in a replacement and have seemingly identified Scott, who is also on Real Madrid’s radar, as an option.
Apart from AC Milan, even Chelsea and Liverpool have also shown interest in the 23-year-old England star, and might even be willing to make a move for him in January.
This complicates the situation for Real Madrid, who would ideally wait until the summer of 2027 to reinforce their midfield unit.
€50 million for Scott?
Furthermore, the report states that Scott is valued by Bournemouth at around €50 million, a fee that could be an issue for AC Milan.
That figure, however, should not pose a challenge for Real Madrid. Nonetheless, the increasing competition for the 23-year-old’s services could drive up the price further, making things complicated.
For now, though, Real Madrid’s interest in Scott has been limited to scouting and monitoring his progress and compiling reports on him.
Whether it translates into a formal approach and offer in the summer or in January itself remains to be seen.
