He was hailed as “one of the leading emerging stars in the world game" and was even touted to have more potential than Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior on his arrival at Real Madrid, so what happened to Reinier Jesus, five years on?
Back in January 2020, Real Madrid beat a number of top European clubs, including Manchester City and Barcelona, to the much-anticipated signing of attacking midfielder Jesus on a six-year deal. The price? €30 million (£25.6m).
It was a statement of intent from Los Blancos, who were determined not to miss out on the next South American superstar after seeing Neymar join Barcelona.
According to the club, Jesus' strengths at the time included technical ability and "creative talent on the ball", something he had showcased throughout the 2019 campaign, when he helped Flamengo lift the Brazilian league title and Copa Libertadores.
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Flamengo manager Jorge Jesus, meanwhile, was outraged by the sale. Speaking to Portuguese TV he said that a player like Reinier "can’t be sold for €30 million" and Flamengo "doesn’t know how to value its brand.”
Jesus may have been dubbed one of the most promising midfielders of his generation but after several months playing for the Castilla, he was offloaded to Borussia Dortmund on a two-year loan. In total, he played 39 times for the Bundesliga club, scoring once.
The attacking midfielder returned to Real Madrid in 2022 but again, the Brazilian struggled to make an impact under Carlo Ancelotti and was loaned out again, this time to fellow La Liga side Girona, where he made 18 La Liga appearances.
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Despite showing promise at Girona, he missed a number of months through injury and scored just twice across 620 minutes of action.
Jesus would later spend loan spells at Serie A side Frosinome, where he made 23 appearances in all competitions, as well as La Liga outfit Granada last season. But again, he remains on the periphery at Real Madrid.
In fact, back in September, then-Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti delivered a telling response to a question about Jesus' future. “I recommend that he looks for a team where he can show his qualities,” he said.
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Ten months after Ancelotti's no-nonsense comments and Jesus remains a Real Madrid player, but the Brazilian is not in Xabi Alonso's plans ahead of pre-season.
A report from Marca suggests the 23-year-old is not even being considered by Castilla as he prepares for the start of the season in his native Brazil alongside a 'trusted fitness trainer' and a physiotherapist.
Topics: Real Madrid, La Liga, Transfers, Spain
Jack Kenmare