Vincent Kompany finally finds Julien Duranville, his “future Golden Ball”

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But not the last to shower his foal with praise. “Who do I see winning the Ballon d'Or in the long term? Mbappé and Haaland. But Gavi and Duranville can do just as well.”he launched at the end of 2022, reinforcing BVB's desire to bet 8 million euros on a 16-year-old kid. We know what happens next. Duranville joined Dortmund in January 2023; while Kompany spent two seasons in England before joining Bayern.

Hampered by several injuries, the now 18-year-old winger has not yet been able to fully prove himself. But Kompany has not changed his mind. “It's not my role to add pressure to him, especially given the little physical problems he's had. But I had the chance to meet him at Anderlecht when he was 15 or 16 years old. We quickly saw what impact he had. It's rare to be able to do that at that age.” he told the DH in September.

The timing of the reunion seems good. Recovered from a new muscle problem, Duranville took part in the last two BVB meetings. “It's a pleasure to watch Juju play, but the key question with him is whether he can stay healthy, commented his coach Nuri Sahin. If he can he'll go far, he's too good not to. He is more stable now, more mature and more mentally advanced. It’s now up to us to make sure he performs well every three days.”