"The best" - Vinicius Jr responds to Reece James as Chelsea defender hails Real Madrid attacker as one of his toughest opponents
Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Jr has responded to Reece James after the Chelsea right-back hailed the Brazilian as one of his toughest opponents.
James, 22, chose Vinicius as one of the three players he has found it most difficult to come up against during his career.
The English full-back responded to a fan's question on his Twitter account, saying:
"3 hardest players I’ve ever played against are all left wingers! Vinicius Jr, Leao and Mane!"
Vinicius Jr has responded to James' praise by tweeting:
"The best (hands raised)."
🏾@ReeceJames The best 🙌🏾
Vinicius and James have been in scintillating form this season for Real Madrid and Chelsea, respectively.
The Brazilian winger has found the net 10 times and contributed five assists in 21 appearances across competitions.
He is with Brazil at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and has started both Selecao's opening two wins over Serbia 2-0 and Switzerland 1-0.
Vinicius Jr has been directly involved in all of Brazil’s goals in the world cup so far. 🤩🇧🇷 https://t.co/8oGe2I6BTj
Meanwhile, James is missing the tournament due to a knee injury he picked up against AC Milan in October.
The right-back has been in fine form, making 11 appearances, scoring two goals, contributing as many assists, and helping the Blues keep four clean sheets.
James has fought against Vinicius on four occasions, winning two, drawing one, and losing one of those fixtures.
The Real Madrid winger has managed two assists in those games.
Real Madrid attacker Eden Hazard has played down rumors of a return to Chelsea
Hazard has endured a difficult spell at Real Madrid since joining from the Blues in 2019 for €115 million.
Injury issues and a lack of form have plagued his spell at the Santiago Bernabeu, he has made just six appearances this season, two in the starting lineup.
The Belgian has scored one goal and provided one assist.
Speculation has grown over Hazard's future as he falls further down the pecking order in Carlo Ancelotti's side.
A return to Stamford Bridge is always rumored, but Hazard is bemused by those links.
He said (via talkSPORT):
“Chelsea? I was never close to returning or to leave Real Madrid in general. Chelsea have never called me. Why there are always Chelsea links? No idea, honestly.”
Hazard became a Blues legend with the Premier League club, making 352 appearances, scoring 110 goals, and providing 92 assists.
The Belgian won the Premier League title twice, the Europa League twice, and the FA Cup.
He has two years left on his contract with Madrid, but a potential return to west London seems wide of the mark.