Why Vinicius, not Mbappe, will continue to be Real Madrid's main man

How will Mbappe's move to Real Madrid impact Vinicius' playing time?

Karim Benzema’s departure last summer left Real Madrid without a star man leading their line for the first time in years. 

While Jude Bellingham was impressive in his superb debut season, it was Vinicius Junior’s relentless performances in a more central role that quickly eased fears around the need for a new forward. 

With a WhoScored rating of 7.41, Vinicius ranked as the second highest rated player in the 2023/24 La Liga season. The 23-year-old stepped up with 24 goals across all competitions and led the Spanish giants to yet another league and Champions League double. 

Such was his influence that he also ranked first for Expected Goals (xG), shots on target, touches in the penalty area, progressive carries and second for successful take-ons per 90 in the star-studded Real squad. 

Vinicius was named the Champions League's Player of the Season, and it is hard to make an argument against the Brazilian being the best in the world. 

While Haaland and Mbappe were predicted to succeed Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi as the most dominant players in the world, Vinicius seems to have gate crashed that party. 

Vinicius Junior Transfer Value - how much is he worth now?

According to FootballTransfer's Player Valuation Model, Vinicius has a current Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €112.2m, making him the fourth most valuable player in the world. 

Real Madrid has been very successful at moving quickly to acquire elite young talents from the Brazilian market. Paying €45m for a then 16-year-old was a significant risk, but the skyrocketing of Vinicius’ valuation has made that fee seem like a bargain. 

Can Vinicius push on with the arrival of Mbappe? 

At Madrid, success is always defined by how players and the team perform in the Champions League. 

Vinicius has now scored in each of the two Champions League finals he has played in, and has surpassed Lionel Messi as the youngest player to achieve this feat.  

The Madridistas are hard to please, but his ability to step up under pressure on the biggest stage has turned him into a fan favourite. 

With Kylian Mbappe’s move to the Santiago Bernabeu being confirmed for next season, Florentino Perez has assembled one of the most devastating attacks in modern times. 

But could adding the Frenchman disrupt the attacking balance, and reduce the impact of Vinicius? 

With Carlo Ancelotti in charge, that is not likely to happen. The Italian is a versatile tactician who always finds unique solutions to accommodate his superstars.  

We saw this yet again this season, when he brilliantly adapted to the lack of a number nine and got the best out of his attackers. 

The former Flamengo man had almost exclusively played on the left wing for Real, but the departure of Benzema saw him being deployed as one of the two forwards in a new 4-4-2 diamond shape. 

Vinicius thrived in the new role, with his non-penalty Expected Goals (npxG) figure shooting up from 0.33 to 0.59 per 90. 

He also had more touches in the opposition penalty area per 90 (9.32) than any other player in the league. This enabled him to take more shots, from more dangerous areas closer to goal, and saw his goals per 90 figure double to 0.72. 

Vincius is still an exceptional wide player though. He somehow managed to improve his goal output while continuing to be devastating with his creativity and dribbling. 

With such a skill set, Ancelotti can continue him in a central role and play Mbappe off his favoured left side, or use both as part of a front two. 

There are many possibilities, but what is certain is that Real’s number seven will be at the centre of those plans.

This article was providing by FootballTransfers