Everton target Reinier has signed a new deal with Flamengo.
Everton were reportedly keen on Flamengo talent Reinier over the summer – but their hopes of signing him have taken a major hit.
The Toffees have seen likes of Bernard and Richarlison impress at Goodison Park, and Marcel Brands seemingly picked out Reinier as his latest Brazilian target.
Reinier, 17, is Brazilian football’s new hot wonderkid, having racked up four goals and two assists in 10 games for the Flamengo first team, earning comparisons to Kaka and Ronaldinho.
UOL Esporte in Brazil reported in July that a €35million (£30million) deal was expected to go through, but the August transfer deadline passed without Everton striking an agreement.
Eventually, Globo Esporte claimed that Everton had backed away from a big-money move as they had a new plan to sign Reinier, taking advantage of his contract situation.
It was stated that Everton wanted to wait until Reinier’s contract ran towards its end in December 2020, with the teenage playmaker able to sign a pre-contract agreement in June.
However, their plan has now backfired as Flamengo confirmed over the weekend that Reinier has signed a new contract with the club until 2024, protecting the club from losing their prized asset on the cheap.
It’s unlikely that Reinier will make it to the end of that contract given the European teams looking to sign him, but any team will now have to pay a considerable fee – and that may just put Everton off.
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