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Reinier Jesus had been 18 for only two days when Real Madrid paid €30m to sign him from Flamengo, and he joins a talented squad in which the similarly promising Brazilians Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior already play a significant role. As is the case with all who move to the Santiago Bernabéu he will under pressure to deliver – the hope will unquestionably be that he proves as influential as Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and Marcelo, who all excelled in the Spanish capital, where Kaká, Júlio Baptista and Robinho were, by comparison, ultimately disappointing.

It is favourable comparisons to Kaká, incidentally, that have already been made. The son of the popular Brazilian futsal player Mauro Brasilia, Reinier was the top goalscorer at the U16 International Football Championships in 2018, where Flamengo beat Real in the final. He also featured at the Club World Cup in Qatar last December, when he was an unused substitute for the final against Liverpool.

He made his first-team debut for Flamengo in July 2019, and scored six goals in 15 appearances for them. That his new manager is Zinedine Zidane may prove crucial; he says he has studied the Frenchman’s graceful movement, and has attempted to copy it. “I want to be a part of the history of this great club,” Reinier said at his unveiling. “I get to fulfil a childhood dream.”