Florentino Perez has invested intelligently to piece together the most well-rounded team in the sport
Real Madrid fans used to hate Vinicius Jr. The mercurial Brazilian, now the Ballon d’Or frontrunner and consensus world-class talent, couldn’t stop missing chances. He did all of the right things asked of a modern winger; he beat his man, made dangerous runs, and put in a shift defensively. In terms of effort, there was little more he could have done for the famous white shirt.
But when it came to the crucial bit – putting the ball in the net – he was maddeningly inconsistent. Around that time, in the 2018-19 season, Vinicius began to feel like an expensive mistake, a pricey venture into the emerging South American market that didn’t quite work out.
Now, five years down the line, and a further €800 million (£680m/$870m) later, every skewed opportunity feels like it was worth it. These days, Vinicius is deadly, and the centre-piece of something resembling a juggernaut. What seemed to be a pricey mishap has proven to be the first of a new wave of signings, the maiden investment in turning an ageing squad into Europe’s most talented team.
Madrid have spent big in recent years, but they’ve also spent well, and have set themselves up for both short- and long-term success.