All you need to know about Real Madrid’s scout Juni Calafat, the man behind the signings of Vinicius, Tchouaméni, Valverde, and other young stars

All you need to know about Real Madrid’s scout Juni Calafat, the man behind the signings of Vinicius, Tchouaméni, Valverde, and other young stars

Juni Calafat and Vinicius and Tchouameni

Real Madrid recruitment has been impeccable for some seasons now. They have identified youngsters and their talent and have successfully managed to convert the youngsters into global stars.

One man who can be given credit for identifying some of the most treasured young players is Juni Calafat. Real now has a promising young base of the team including players like Vinicius, Rodrygo, Fede Valverde, Camavinga, and now Tchouameni.

Real Madrid and AS Monaco have reached an agreement in principle to sign French midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni for a fee of more than €100 million.

FS Video

The clubs are currently working on finalizing documentation and regulatory procedures in order to sign and formally announce the 22-year-move. old’s

Tchouameni has opted to join Real Madrid, despite the fact that he was courted by PSG, Liverpool, and Manchester United.

Also Read: Real Madrid beats PSG in the race to sign amazing Aurelien Tchouameni, takes the Frenchman for €100m including add ons

How did Juni Calafat sign Vinicius Junior for Real Madrid?

WATCH: Vinicius Jr opens scoring for Real Madrid in El Classico
Vinicius for Real Madrid this season

Juni Calafat and Vinicius Junior first met in Rio de Janeiro in February 2017, and Real Madrid’s head scout was keen to convince the 16-year-old star to relocate to the Spanish city.

Calafat was tasked by Florentino Perez with finding the world’s next best player, and he chose Vinicius from Flamengo’s youth academy and traveled to Rio to meet him face to face. Florentino was keen to discover the next Lionel Messi, a player who could start his career at Real Madrid and create a dynasty without having to spend a lot of money on transfers.

Calafat worked hard to persuade Vinicius to join, and the two developed a strong bond that continues to this day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WugPrY2JF_g

During that period, the scout visited Brazil ten times, participating in discussions as Barcelona contended for Vinicius’ signature and revealing specifics of the club’s sports intentions. He also aided the young Brazilian’s preparations for a transfer to Spain by sending him an autographed Real Madrid shirt, which Vinicius reciprocated with a Flamengo shirt.

When there were concerns about Vinicius’ performance, Calafat suffered, but he never lost faith and was always backed by President Perez.

Also Read: Three football rivalries that can take over from the Cristiano Ronaldo-Lionel Messi era