Vinicius Junior: An imminent icon in the making 

Vinicius Jose Paixao de Oliveira Junior, more commonly known as Vinicius Jr, is relishing the attention from all of Europe as he is steadily acclimatizing into the Real Madrid first team. But, has he got the qualities and abilities to be ranked amongst the future superstars of the beautiful game? Let's take a look:

Real Madrid exercised the buyout clause in Vinicius' Flamengo contract in 2016 as they made him the most expensive teenager of that time. The Brazilian prodigy attracted the attention of Real Madrid hierarchy with his standout performance at the 2017 South American U-17 Football Championship, where he picked up the 'Best player of the tournament' award.

Real Madrid president, Florentino Perez, is a veteran when it comes to transfers policies. Considering the current uneconomical market, Perez managed to get the services of world cup golden-glove winner, Thibaut Courtois, for a mere 35 Million Euros, which is a penny considering the quality of a keeper he is. Perez also bought Toni Kroos, Casemiro, Asensio and Lucas Vasquez in reasonable deals. There must be something that forced Perez to splash 45 million for a 16-year-old.

So far in his career, the 18-year-old has managed to carry on his goalscoring form and has started netting for the Real Madrid first team following a prolific short tenure with the Real Madrid Castilla. Along with being a brilliant goalscorer, the Brazilian possesses exceptional dribbling skills, which is a common trait of all the elite Brazilian footballers out there. His versatility is something which should be appreciated as he can play on both the wings and can play the role of a striker when needed.

The Brazilian prodigy has a good sense of space and with his pace, proves to be lethal when on a counter-attack. Cutting inside from the wings and playing short passes makes his game look more adorable. His performances in his recent outings with the Real Madrid first team coupled with his record at Castilla where he scored four goals in five appearances, insists that he is a level above the players of his age.

The teenage sensation was struggling to make his way into the first division football. However, Santiago Solari's arrival has ensured he has more time in the Bernabeu. When in comparison with Kylian Mbappe, the Real Madrid prodigy is nowhere close to him stat-wise. However, considering his quality and abilities on the field, it can't be denied that world football has found a new pearl in him. It remains to be seen how Real Madrid nourishes his talent and makes him the elite footballer of the next generation.

Real Madrid is a club where expectations are always at its zenith. Eyes around the world are already expecting him to be the next legend of the club. There'll be times when the pressure is so high, that the players start cracking under the load, but you've got to take that and keep moving forward in order to survive where the eyes are in search of an irreplaceable 'Cristiano Ronaldo'.