La Liga champions Real Madrid are reportedly keeping tabs on the progress of 16-year-old Italian wonderkid Simone Pafundi at Udinese.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Defensa Central, Simone Pafundi is the latest prodigious talent to emerge on the radar of Real Madrid. The reigning La Liga champions are tracking the 16-year-old Italian wonderkid at Udinese.
Simone Pafundi started his youth career at UFM Monfalcone, joining his hometown club as a five-year-old. But the teenage prodigy made his mark after joining Udinese aged eight in 2014. And after rapidly rising through the ranks at the Italian club, he made his first-team debut towards the end of last season.
The 16-year-old has since continued featuring for Udinese’s Primavera side and has enjoyed a solid 2022/23 season. The youngster has three goals and six assists in ten outings thus far. And Pafundi has also made his Italy debut this season, making his bow against Albania this month. So it is hardly surprising that top clubs like Real Madrid are closely monitoring his progress.
Pafundi is primarily an attacking midfielder, so Real Madrid might struggle to find a place for him, considering they usually line up in a 4-3-3 formation. But the Italian wonderkid is only 16 years old and can remodel himself as a midfielder or a winger. So with that in mind, he is an option worth considering for Real Madrid.
As a creative midfielder, the Udinese prodigy could fill the void that Toni Kroos and Luka Modric would leave in a few years. While Jude Bellingham is a top target for Real Madrid, Los Blancos will need two players to replace the ageing midfield stalwarts. Alternatively, the 16-year-old could compete for a spot in the offensive unit.
But Pafundi is not the only teenage whizkid to have emerged on Real Madrid’s radar. The reigning La Liga champions are renowned for constantly tracking several prodigious prospects. And Julien Duranville and Endrick are two of the young talents the Merengues are keeping tabs on currently.
Pafundi remains a player Real Madrid will be admiring from a distance for now. But it will be interesting to see if he becomes a top target if he continues on his upward trajectory with Udinese.
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