What happened to Reinier? Why €35m 'new Kaka' failed to follow in Vinicius Jr's footsteps at Real Madrid

"He's extremely talented. I see him as a '10' – a Kaka," former Brazil Under-17's coach Guilherme Dalla Dea told FIFA when quizzed on Reinier Jesus' development in July 2019. "I see these characteristics in Reiner. He likes getting in the box, scoring goals. He also scores goals from outside the box. I've so much belief in him. He's a kid, a youngster, but he's very level-headed and because of this he's our captain. I firmly believe we'll see him playing at a very high level overseas."

Dalla Dea's prediction turned out to be factually correct, but not nearly to the extent he'd imagined. Six months later, after helping Flamengo win a stunning Serie A and Copa Libertadores double, an 18-year-old Reinier joined Real Madrid in a €35 million (£30m/$39m) deal, committing to a six-year contract at Santiago Bernabeu.

In the process, Reinier joined up with compatriots Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo, with the former having also swapped the home comforts of Flamengo for the bright lights of Madrid. It was expected that the Brazilian trio would all fulfil their vast potential and spearhead Madrid's attack in the long term, helping the club enjoy another era of dominance in domestic and European competition.

Vinicius and Rodrygo have done exactly that, racking up 550 appearances in all competitions for Los Blancos between them, along with three La Liga winners' medals and two Champions League titles. Both men remain vital cogs in Carlo Ancelotti's set-up to this day, with Vinicius even emerging as a regular contender for the Ballon d'Or.

Unfortunately, though, Reinier is lagging way behind, having yet to make his senior bow with Real. There is a very good chance he never will, either, because he's now in the middle of his fourth underwhelming loan spell away from the club. The question is: what exactly went so wrong for the 'next Kaka'? GOAL takes a look below...