When PSG once intended to recruit Vinicius Jr to replace Mbappe, the Brazilian star is showing that he is ready to compete for the Golden Ball with his French opponent in the future.

Vinicius was once a top target for PSG. Photo: Marca.

Marca newspaper has just revealed, PSG once pursued Vinicius in the winter of 2021. That was the time when the French team was in danger of losing Mbappe to Real Madrid, so they needed a worthy replacement. The deal is offered as a salary of 40 million euros/season and many economic benefits for Vinicius. However, the Brazilian star refused and chose to stay at Real Madrid. As for PSG, they also focus all their efforts and successfully keep Mbappe until 2025.

With Real Madrid and PSG both wanting to target each other’s star, this will certainly make a comparison between Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. If last season, the Real star would not have a door, because he only scored 2 goals in 35 matches in La Liga.

But in the 2021-2022 season, Vinicius has transformed under coach Carlo Ancelotti. For the first time in his career, he found his killer instinct, instead of being known as a player who was only good at “dancing”. As a result, Vinicius ended the season with 22 goals and 20 assists in 52 matches. Although Mbappe still scored more assists with 36 goals and 26 assists, the difference between La Liga and Ligue is something that everyone can see. So in terms of performance alone, Vinicius is certainly not much worse than Mbappe.

For many seasons, Kylian Mbappe has been known as a player of big matches. In the Champions League 2020/2021 season, Mbappe has scored 3 goals against Barca, scored twice against Bayern Munich or in the 21/22 season, 2 goals against Real Madrid. However, Mbappe is still less charming when he has never been with PSG to the throne in the Champions League.

In terms of bravery, Vinicius proved no less competitive. In the 20/21 Champions League season, this star scored twice against Liverpool. By this season, Vinicius scored against Chelsea, Man City and especially the goal against Liverpool in the final, thereby helping Real Madrid to a worthy title in the Champions League 21/22. So the Brazilian star got his first elephant ear cup at the age of 21, something Mbappe wanted for a long time.

Vinicius has reached Mbappe’s level. Photo: Planet Football.

In terms of gameplay, Vinicius is also the type of player that relies heavily on high speed and dribbling like Mbappe. Champions League this year, Real Madrid star has 2.5 successful passes/90 minutes, and PSG star is 2.9 times/90 minutes. But Vinicius is possessing a more comprehensive playstyle. Unlike a lazy Mbappe, the Brazilian star is always aggressive on defense. The statistics don’t lie, when at this year’s C1 Mbappe only has 0.1 tackles per game, while Vinicius owns 1.6 tackles every 90 minutes!

Vinicius flashed, so now President Florentino Perez no longer regrets Mbappe. The godfather of Real Madrid also believes in the ability of the Brazilian prodigy to win the Ballon d’Or: “He will definitely win the Ballon d’Or in the not too distant future, like what Benzema did this season.” .

“Vinicius came to Real Madrid at the age of 18 and played in the youth team of Castilla. He has grown continuously since then, an exceptional talent!” – shared by Perez.