Real Madrid Transfer News: Flamengo sensation Reinier Jesus set to pen a long-term deal with Los Blancos

Real Madrid are set to announce Reiner's signing in the coming days.
Real Madrid are set to announce Reiner's signing in the coming days.

Flamengo wonderkid Reinier Jesus Carvalho is all set to become Real Madrid's first signing of the January window.

Real Madrid have already reached an agreement with Brazilian side Flamengo to pay Reinier's €30 million release clause and the move will be confirmed once the player turns 18 on 19th January, AS reports.

The Los Blancos are waiting for his 18th birthday and will complete his signing after that to avoid getting in trouble with FIFA over transfers of underage players. It is also speculated that the player will sign a long-term deal with the club, with the report suggesting that a six-and-a-half-year contract has been agreed.

The player had recently extended his contract with the club in November on the condition that his release clause would be reduced from €70 million to €30 million, to facilitate a move away from the club in January. Of the agreed fees, €24 million will go to his club, while his family and agent will each get €3 million.

Reinier has drawn comparisons to Brazilian great and former Galactico Kaka and last season scored six goals in 14 appearances in Brazil's Serie A as Flamengo went on to lift the title.

Also See: Real Madrid transfer news, Barcelona transfer news

Real Madrid plan to add Reinier to the Castilla initially

Reinier will initially join up with Real Madrid's Castilla side, which is coached by Raul, instead of going straight into the first team. Reinier is said to be keen on the idea of continuing his development with the B team.

He will only be available to join up with his new club in February, when he returns from his involvement with Brazil's national side in their Olympic qualifying tournament in Colombia, which runs from 18th January to 9th February.

Reinier is a creative attacking midfielder and will fit in perfectly in the squad, which currently has an absolute glut of central and defensive midfielders.

Isco is the only out-and-out attacking midfielder and while Casemiro, Valverde, Kroos and Modric are all excellent in their own rights, they lack that certain flair going forward. Also, with the latter two now in their 30s, it is of utmost importance that the club starts developing players that will replace them in the long-term future.

The Perez, Zidane and Raul factor

President Florentino Perez is leading a revolution at the club, changing the way Madrid have done transfers in the past. Madrid are now becoming the nurturing centre of gifted young footballers from Brazil and all around the world.

Perez has adopted a strategy of investing in the future as opposed to splashing the cash every transfer window for short-term gains. But at a club like Madrid, fans always expect a marquee signing, as evidenced by their capture of Eden Hazard in the summer.

Landing Reinier was part of Perez's grand plan of building a great team for the future and he joins the likes of Fede Valverde, Takefusa Kubo, Vinicius Jr, Achraf Hakimi and Rodrygo Goes in the growing list of talented youngsters in the club's rank.

Big clubs such as Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain and Atlético Madrid also attempted to sign the 17-year-old, but he preferred a move to the Santiago Bernabéu.

The prospect of working under the tutelage of two legendary figures in the form of Castilla coach Raúl and first-team manager Zinedine Zidane played a huge role in his transfer.


Also See: La Liga, La Liga table

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Edited by Zaid Khan