Barcelona enquire about Flamengo starlet Reiner
Mundo Deportivo report that the 17-year-old forward is being targetted by Barcelona. Reiner is also on the radars of Real Madrid, Atlético and PSG...
With market prices for top players at an all-time high, Barcelona seem to have taken on board Real Madrid's strategy of investing in promising young Brazilian players - well before they have arrived and become established in Europe and become unaffordable. Madrid have used such a tactic with Vinicius and Rodrygo and now the Blaugranas have set their sights on Reiner Jesús Carvalho, a 17-year-old attacking midfielder who is on the books at Flamengo.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona have already made enquiries as to how much Reiner, tipped to be "the star of the new generation of Brazilian football", would cost. Reiner is described as a physically imposing player, (he's just over six foot) who combines power in attack with an eye for goal - qualities that haven't gone unnoticed by some of the top clubs in Europe.
The Catalan daily adds that the player's father has been doing the rounds in Europe, talking to several different clubs. Real Madrid, Atlético, Manchester City, PSG and Arsenal are just a few of the clubs who have shown an interest, apart from Barcelona.
Despite his tender age, and similar to what happened to Madrid with Vinicius and Rodrygo, Reiner commands a high asking price. In their first meeting with Flamengo, Barça were told that the player was valued at 20 million euros, but after making his top flight debut, and scoring four goals and three assists in 11 games - performances which earned him his debut in the Copa Libertadores, his price has increased substantially and may even have doubled.
In Brazil, there has been contorversy because Flamengo refused to allow the teenager to join the national team for the Under-17 World Cup - a move which was reminiscent of what happened to Barcelona, the Spanish national team and Ansu Fati.