KPMG: Vinicius, out of the elite

To think about Real Madrid this season is to do it, inevitably, in Vinicius Junior. The São Gonçalo winger has cleared all doubts based on dribbling, overflow, personality and, above all, goals that his lack of smell had been placing in his private backpack, next to the enormous expectations that accompanied his presentation in society at the was Solari. Where before there were occasions gestures of disappointment, now there are celebrations. 12 goals and eight assists accompany the Brazilian’s explosion. Ten of them in a league competition where only his partner Benzema surpasses him with eleven. Now nobody doubts Vini, or maybe yes.

‘KPMG’ has published an update of its market values and there are some surprising data. The most notable, perhaps, is that of our protagonist. Despite his age (21 years), his aforementioned explosion and potential, he does not even appear in the top 50 positions, those published by the data analysis and statistics portal applied to football. Although he can also squeak that of his mischievous companion on the Madrid attack front, a Karim Benzema who comes from fourth in the race for the Ballon d’Or and who does not appear until position 192, with a value of 36.2 million euros. The lionés is the one with the lowest appraisal of the top ten classified in the golden award.

Other footballers with a strong relationship with the Whites do appear in positions of honor. Haaland (142.4 million euros) and Mbappé (128.2), the couple with whom Florentino Pérez dreams of launching the new Santiago Bernabéu at full capacity, are the two best valued. Phil Foden (117), magician under Guardiola, is the third of the ranking. While Lukaku, Salah, Alexander-Arnold, Bruno Fernandes, Rashford, Kane and Sancho They complete the top-10, with Frenkie de Jong, eleventh, as the first player in the Spanish LaLiga.

Courtois, the best of Madrid

As far as Madrid is concerned, there are three footballers who do appear in the top fifty. Courtois (75.4 million euros) is thirty-seventh, with Fede Valverde and Casemiro sharing the position, forty-sixth, with a value of 69.6 million. Varane (68.8) and Lewandowski (68) close a top-50 in which, as we say, both the twenty madridista like al 9. Although, by age, it is more strange that the merits of the Brazilian have not made him climb more positions. Thus a Valverde, whom the competition in the center of the field does not let him fly regularly, is the most valued young merengue for ‘KPMG’, which leaves Vinicius out of the elite.

Criteria Division

This consideration clashes with the one published days ago by CIES. For the Football Observatory, in a report focused only on the ten best young people on the planet, setting the limit at 23 years, Vinicius shared with Haaland and Foden the leadership of the table, with a label of 150 million euros. Others such as Mason Greenwood, Jadon Sancho or Ferran Torres appeared next and he was not to be found. Mbappé to much lower, with a value of 80 million. The fact of ending his contract in June penalizes the PSG star, who, in another way, also appeared higher in the previous KPMG study, as he did just a year ago, before the summer hurricane caused by his frustrated signing by Madrid and his categorical decision not to renew with the Parisian team. Next year, Kylian and Vinicius could share a trident on the Paseo de la Castellana. It would be necessary to see the impact that this would have on the different statistical portals …