Vinicius Jr: How Man Utd ignored 40 scouting reports to sign Real Madrid star
Suraj Radia
- 28 May 2022 20:35 BST
- 3 min read
Real Madrid wonderkid Vinicius Junior could have signed for Manchester United as a teenager but the club failed to act on more than 40 glowing scout reports on the youngster.
United scouts spotted the then-14-year-old playing for Brazilian club Flamengo and urged the English side to make a move for a player they believed to be one of the most gifted talents of his generation.
However, despite receiving regular standout reviews across a three-year period, United failed to even acknowledge the reports, eventually allowing rivals to make a move.
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Madrid ended up beating Barcelona to the signing of Vinicius in 2017 and agreed a deal worth €46 million, a record fee for a teenager and making him the second-most expensive Brazilian ever behind Neymar.
How did United miss out on Vinicius?
Speaking to ESPN Brazil, former Flamengo academy coach Carlos Noval said: "A foreign scout from Manchester United said: 'Noval, look at the player you have, he’s a gem! I’ve never seen a 14-year-old player do what he does.'
"That reinforced everything we already had in mind. He was a gem to be polished. Everyone wanted Vinicius.
"He was very different. Maybe he was the only player that at nine years old you looked at and knew that there was no way out, he was guaranteed success.
Where Vinícius Jr ranks in the Champions League this season:
Assists (6): 1st
Key Passes (30): 1st
Pressures (266): 1st
Fouls Drawn (26): 1st
Players Dribbled Past (44): 1st
Shot-Creating Actions (54): 1st
Carries into Penalty Area (38): 1st
ᴇᴜʀᴏᴘᴇᴀɴ ᴇxᴄᴇʟʟᴇɴᴄᴇ pic.twitter.com/8Ahmfo1ySh— StatATM (@StatATM) May 27, 2022
The 21-year-old has since gone on to become one of football's breakout superstars, leading Madrid to the Champions League final and becoming a regular in Brazil's national team.
Having also scouted him since the age of 13, the Spanish side agreed to sign Vini as a 16-year-old although legally he wasn't able to join until he turned 18.
After only scoring eight goals in his first three years with Los Blancos, the winger has excelled this season, scoring 17 goals in La Liga and getting 10 assists.
"He evolved a lot at Real after Ancelotti put him on the left," Noval said. "I have no doubt that he will be the best player in the world soon."
