REAL Madrid never got over missing out on the young Neymar.
In the last couple of years they have compensated by moving early to acquire a collection of Brazilian ‘baby galacticos.’
First came Vinicius Junior, then Rodrygo, and now Reinier Jesus.
Just a few months back, Reinier was an untried 17-year-old who had yet to play a single game at senior level for Rio de Janeiro giants Flamengo and was being linked with Everton.
On Sunday he turned 18, and the next day his move to Real was confirmed.
He will join his new club at the end of the South American Under-23 Championship, currently taking place in Colombia.
Plenty has happened to this young man in the last few months.
He forced his way into contention for a place in the Flamengo side that won the Brazilian and South American titles, scoring six goals in 15 appearances.
Team coach, the veteran Portuguese Jorge Jesus, is a huge admirer.
He thinks that Real Madrid have picked up a real bargain at the price of £25.6million.
This has prompted many Flamengo fans to lament that Reinier was not brought off the bench against Liverpool in last month’s final of the Club World Cup.
Young centre forward Lincoln came on – and wasted the team’s best chance, blasting over when well placed with almost the last kick of the game.
TRIO DE JANEIRO – Real's three Brazilian wonder kids
Vinicius
Age: 19
Position: Winger
Full name: Vinícius Jose Paixao de Oliveira Junior
Signed from Flamengo for £38m
Rodrygo
Age: 19
Position: Winger
Full name: Rodrygo Silva de Goes
Signed from Santos for £40m
Reinier
Age: 18
Position: Attacking midfielder
Full name: Reinier Jesus Carvalho
Signed from Flamengo for £25.6m
Reinier, they believe, would have come up with a more refined touch.
He is something a little bit different.
In recent times Brazil has specialized in producing wingers or strikers who attack from wide spaces.
This is not Reinier’s game. In fact, Jorge Jesus is worried that Real Madrid might try to use him on the wing, where, he argues, they will never get the best out of him.
Instead, Reinier is more of an attacking midfielder through the centre of the pitch.
There is something of a tropical Michael Ballack about him – he is tall, with an imperious air, with plenty of subtlety plus the capacity to burst beyond the strikers and break into the penalty area.
It could be that his move across the Atlantic has come so quickly as a consequence of not being used against Liverpool.
There was talk that Flamengo might want to keep him until the middle of the year, and move him on in the summer transfer window.
But – so far at least – they have retained their all-conquering front four from 2019, and they have also made some big money attacking signings.
And so if Reinier was going to struggle to get a game, better to go to Spain as early as possible.
There too he will surely not be in immediate contention for a place in the first team.
But at least he will be adapting to life and football with one of the world’s most glamorous clubs.
In the meantime the Spanish press have flocked to Colombia to cast an eye on him in action for Brazil’s Under-23s.
Brazil’s senior coaching staff are also watching closely.
They have high hopes that this latest ‘baby galactico’ will grow into a world class focal point of the attack in the yellow shirt of Brazil, as well as the white of Real Madrid.
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