Reinier Jesus Scout Report: 17-year-old Flamengo starlet linked with a move to Man City

According to claims from AS, Man City have joined the race to sign Brazilian wonderkid Reinier Jesus from Flamengo, with Real Madrid, Roma and AC Milan all keeping close tabs on the 17-year-old attacking midfielder.

AS also reports that Reinier Jesus has a release clause of €70million in his contract, although he is yet to make his senior first-team debut for Flamengo.

Flamengo have a recent history of exporting top-quality talents to Europe’s elite clubs, with Lucas Paqueta and Vinicius Junior amongst those to have successfully made their mark at AC Milan and Real Madrid respectively.

Reinier, who has 5 goals in 9 appearances for Brazil at the U-17 level, has earned rave reviews from scouts all over the world, so much so, that some of Europe’s top clubs are already hot on his trail, despite the 17-year-old not making a single senior appearance for Flamengo.

Flamengo are not in a hurry to let go of their prized asset and they are pretty much prepared to play the waiting game, but with so many top clubs circling around like sharks, it should only be a matter of time before any of them triggers Reinier’s release clause.

As another Brazilian prodigy gets ready to complete a move to Europe, let us take a look at one of the brightest young prospects to have come through Flamengo’s youth system in recent times- Reinier Jesus Carvalho.

Style of Play and Strengths

Reinier started his career as a defensive midfielder but he has evolved more into an out-and-out No.10 over the years. Standing at 6ft. 3 inches with a lanky well-built frame, he is taller than an average central attacking midfielder, and while that might make people a bit sceptical about his playmaking attributes, the 17-year-old has shown the intelligence to use his physicality to his advantage.

A technically-gifted player noted for his sharpness, agility and exceptional close control, Reinier’s attributes go against the normal cliche that players with a low centre-of-gravity have a better chance of excelling in a No.10 role. Maybe, that is why he has been labelled as an exceptional talent.

Calm and comfortable in possession, Reinier boasts of an incredible range of passing and his ability to pick out defence-splitting passes with guided missile-like accuracy make him stand head and shoulders above most of the players in the same mould.

Sharp and elegant with the ball at his feet, the Brazilian knows how to use his tall stature to hold on to the ball and ride his way past challenges, while also possessing a remarkable speed of thought and jaw-dropping vision to play accurate lobbed passes behind the opposition’s backline.

A highly creative player, who can operate in both No10 and withdrawn roles in the midfield, one of Reinier’s biggest assets is his ability to use the outside of his boot to good effect.

He has the skill set to string together some lovely slick passing moves in and around the penalty area, whilst his penchant for coming up with back-heeled assists has led to him being compared with some of the footballing greats.

Capable of producing spectacular goals from outside the box, Reinier has an absolute wand of a right foot, and his tactical awareness to make intelligent runs into the box make him a potent goalscoring threat.

What does the future hold?

Man City raided the Brazilian top-flight for Gabriel Jesus back in January 2017, splashing a staggering £27 million to bring the striker to English football from Palmeiras.

Although Reinier is yet to make a senior appearance for Flamengo or the Brazilian national side, the 17-year-old looks like an extraordinary talent and the Citizens could have a gem on their hands if they manage to beat off competition from a number of Europe’s elite clubs in the race to sign him.

Given that Reinier is not a full international yet, securing a work-permit is likely to be a big problem. However, he is still only 17 and very much in the developmental stage of his career, meaning that he would go straight into the U-18 or U-20 side even if a move materializes.

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Nevertheless, Reinier Jesus is a player with a mountain of potential and he has all the attributes to evolve into the future star. Hence, the football fans around the globe are likely to hear his name a lot more in the years to follow if he continues his development down the right path.