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Real Madrid News Real Madrid superstar chasing Alfredo Di Stefano’s record as he takes a leadership role The new season is just around the corner with Real Madrid set to take on Espanyol in their season opener later this evening. It will be an important game for Vinicius Jr., who is heading into the new season with a fresh contract renewal and a leadership position, with the Brazilian serving as the club’s second captain. Aside from being a captain, Vinicius is also the most senior player in the Real Madrid team right now, in terms of appearances for the club. Chasing Di Stefano’s record As reported by MARCA, Vinicius enters the season having played 375 matches for Real Madrid, a tally that makes him the most experienced player in the current squad. That is just 21 short of Alfredo Di Stefano’s legendary total, a milestone the Brazilian is likely to approach before the turn of the year given his consistent game time under successive managers. The Brazilian international has outlasted the likes of Sergio Ramos, Casemiro, Karim Benzema, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, all of whom departed the club since Vini arrived eight years ago. Now the second captain, the explosive forward has actually featured more than the two other captains in the team in Federico Valverde and Thibaut Courtois. More records on the horizon Should Vinicius see out his new contract, which runs until 2032, the numbers become even more staggering. Based on his average of 47 appearances per season, projections suggest he could finish his Real Madrid career with 657 matches, a tally surpassed by only four players in the club’s history: Raul, Iker Casillas, Manolo Sanchis and Sergio Ramos. His goalscoring record is similarly impressive. Vinicius is already the top scorer in the current squad with 127 goals, comfortably ahead of Kylian Mbappe’s 86 in just two seasons. At his current average of 16 goals per campaign, he is projected to finish with 223, which would rank seventh on Real Madrid’s all-time list, For now, Vinicius’ focus will be to get Real Madrid off to a positive start to the season tonight against Espanyol. Real Madrid News Former Real Madrid academy ace could bring significant windfall amid Premier League interest It has been a gala summer for Real Madrid in terms of youth player sales, both directly from the Castilla and in terms of indirect profits from external transfers. All in all, the club have pocketed over €200 million from player sales this summer, and a massive part of that has arrived from departures of academy stars. The most recent operation finalised was the departure of Jacobo Ortega who left for Strasbourg, and Sergio Arribas is also said to be nearing a big-money move. Now, Defensa Central highlights another young player who could enter the same situation. An exit from Celta Vigo As relayed by the Spanish outlet, former Real Madrid player and current Celta Vigo star Javi Rueda is nearing a departure from the club, and Los Blancos continue to hold a promising stake. The player is likely Premier League-bound as Nottingham Forest have reportedly taken a liking for his profile. They are willing to spend big bucks to recruit him, and that comes as great news for Real Madrid who retain 50% of his rights. In fact, Rueda is said to have numerous proposals on his table beyond the offer from England although all his options are from clubs abroad. Nottingham Forest, however, represent the player’s best option in terms of chances in the Europa League and their project. The expected sum As matters stand, there is no clear idea of the exact amount Celta Vigo are holding out for. Rueda’s release clause stands at close to €40 million, but the Galicians are expected to settle even for a slightly lesser fee if it satisfies them. Given that they owe half the sum to Real Madrid, they will only sell him if the offer comes close to the €40 million mark at least. As matters stand, Nottingham Forest have not tabled any official offer for the player yet but one is expected to arrive at the Celta Vigo offices in the coming days. Real Madrid, needless to say, will be alert to the situation and will hope to secure yet another windfall to add to their massive earnings of the summer.