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Chelsea winger Noni Madueke has suggested that Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr is the best player he has faced off against. The Brazilian winger finished second in the 2024 Ballon d'Or voting and was adjudged the Best Men's Player at the FIFA awards recently.
In an interview with former Premier League goalkeeper Ben Foster for Amazon Prime, the 22-year-old said:
“Best player I’ve played against? Vinicius Jr. He’s unbelievable and he’s relentless,” Madueke told Ben Foster.
Vinicius has certainly become one of the world's best players, making his mark with his brilliant performances for Real Madrid. He arrived in Spain from Brazilian side Flamengo and took some time to adjust to European football. The 24-year-old has bagged 97 goals and 85 assists in 285 games for Los Blancos.
The Brazilian has looked his usual game-changing threat this season as well, collecting 13 goals and nine assists in 20 games. Real Madrid will be banking on him to perform well as they look to beat Atletico Madrid in the La Liga title race while also finding their way back in the Champions League.
Real Madrid and Chelsea join Barcelona in race to sign young midfielder: Reports
Essugo has been impressive for Las Palmas." srcset="https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/12/9da4c-17350683540236-1920.jpg?w=190 190w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/12/9da4c-17350683540236-1920.jpg?w=720 720w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/12/9da4c-17350683540236-1920.jpg?w=640 640w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/12/9da4c-17350683540236-1920.jpg?w=1045 1045w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/12/9da4c-17350683540236-1920.jpg?w=1200 1200w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/12/9da4c-17350683540236-1920.jpg?w=1460 1460w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/12/9da4c-17350683540236-1920.jpg?w=1600 1600w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/12/9da4c-17350683540236-1920.jpg 1920w">
Essugo has been impressive for Las Palmas.
Real Madrid and Chelsea have emerged as possible destinations for 19-year-old midfielder Dario Essugo. According to The Sun, the two sides have expressed interest in signing the Portuguese youngster.
This comes after a report from Tribuna that claimed that Barcelona are also interested in the player. Essugo came up through the ranks at Sporting CP before making his debut for the senior side in March 2021 in a 1-0 win over Vitoria de Guimaraes. In the process, he became the youngest-ever player to feature for the club.
Currently, he is on loan with Spanish side Las Palmas. He has made 12 appearances for the side and has scored once. He profiles as a defensive-minded midfielder.
Chelsea's clear recruitment strategy and recent success in scouting young players with high potential means Essugo could be another exciting addition to the squad. However, with the young midfield trio of Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia already at the club, Essugo could find game time hard to come by. Further, Andrey Santos and Lesley Ugochukwu are also on loan from Chelsea, making a pathway to the first team at the club difficult.
Real Madrid have a number of talents in midfield, including the likes of Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga, Fede Valverde and Dani Ceballos. It remains to be seen if Essugo arises as a top prospect and continues to impress before earning a move to one of Europe's elite clubs.
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Edited by Sai Krishna