Who is Real Madrid's new Brazilian youngster, Reinier?

Reinier seems to be very happy after his transfer to Real Madrid, and the fans are super hyped about a new Brazilian talent in their squad, after the recent success with Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo. However, is the excitement for the youngster justified and can he become a true 'Galactico'?

Reinier Jesus Carvalho was born in Brasilia, the federal capital of Brazil. Football was already in his blood, as his father was an ex-professional Futsal player. The Candango (that is how residents of Brasilia are called) started his football career in the academy of Vasco da Gama as late as 2011, aged just nine-years-old.

After playing in youth setups of Botafogo and Fluminese he joined Flamengo, where the midfielder made a solid debut in the Copa Libertadores as a sub. Less than a week later, he had his first league game against EC Bahia in the first Brazilian division less than six months ago.

During this short period, he scored six goals and assisted a further two in just 14 games. His great performances soon attracted top clubs from Europe, for example: Arsenal, Atlético Madrid, Chelsea and Barcelona; nonetheless, Real Madrid were able to sign him for £27 million just a few days ago. This is what the you ngster had to say after the move was done:

"Real Madrid is the greatest. When I was very small, I watched the 'Galacticos' with my father. I absolutely loved Madrid."

Reinier is a versatile player, as he was utilized in three positions in the 15 professional games the 18-year-old played. Yet, his main position is obviously the No. 10 role. He is also a great goal threat, scoring six times from deeper positions, only shooting a total of 19 times. One of the main reasons why the player is so efficient, apart from his good finishing, is an interesting movement off the ball, as he finds himself often in dangerous positions in and around the box.

Apart from that, the teenager is also a solid play maker with a good passing percentage for this position, with around 80% successful attempts. However, he could improve his number of key passes, with just 0.7 a game. Nonetheless, considering the quality of his new teammates and the free roaming tactics of Real, this ability could progress, with time and experience.

Another quality is the youngster's skillful dribbling; despite often using tricks to get around opponents, the Brazilian youth international is still quite efficient, only losing the ball 0.6 times a game this way. What also helps is his size and surprising strength, which helps fighting off defenders in a more physical way.

Flamengo v CSA - Brasileirao Series A 2019

A great weakness of him, despite his height of 186 cm, is his behavior in aerial duels, of which Reinier wins less than every third. Another aspect, in which he needs improving, is his role in the teams build up. Flamengo is a quite dominant side, yet the teenager only manages 15.2 passes a game, which is not that bad for an attacking midfielder, but Madrid players like Kroos and Modric manage more than three times the amount of this.

Reinier is a very talented and mature player for his age and could become a top star, as long as he stays injury free. The midfielder got everything from solid pace, good dribbling, being a dangerous threat in front of the goal to having good physical attributes. The only issue that could crop up is his compatibility with Zidane's system, which would require him to play much deeper. However, it seems he has the talent, ability and mindset to adapt and become not only a very good player, but also a true 'Galactico'.