[ad_pod ]According to 90min, Everton could be about to pull off one of the most sensational transfer swoops in recent memory as they look set to beat Real Madrid, Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan to the signing of Flamengo wonderkid Reinier Jesus.You would be forgiven for wondering just how the Toffees have found themselves in the race for the 17-year-old, let alone leading it, but the report states that Richarlison’s presence at Goodison Park has swayed Reinier towards Merseyside.You would also be forgiven once more for asking just who this teenager is and why he’s attracting interest from some of Europe’s elite clubs.
The Brazil Under-17 attacking midfielder is one of the most precocious talents in world football right now.
He has five goals in just nine games for Brazil’s Under-17 side, and a reported release clause of €70m (£63m).
The Toffees, however, are willing to pay up to €40m (£36m) including add-ons.
It would be natural to speculate how an unproven teenager could merit such a huge initial fee of £36m, and you would also be well within your rights to call Everton crazy for parting with that figure for a player with no experience in European football.
If you scratch beneath the surface a little bit, however, this deal would be shrewder than first meets the eye.
As we’re all acutely aware, the transfer market operates independently to the world economy, with fees perpetually inflating at a rate that is as mind-boggling as it is obscene.
Harry Maguire is valued at £90m by Leicester City, and Sean Longstaff is valued at £50m despite playing just nine Premier League games for Newcastle.
With football slowly becoming – if it isn’t already – a playground for the super-rich, the true value of any player can be warped and manipulated in a transient snippet of time.
But it’s that very acceptance of the market’s volatility that makes Everton’s willingness to pay £36m for Reinier less irrational than the average gut reaction may indicate.
The Longstaff example is a good one as is the rise of Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
After just one full season in Crystal Palace’s first-team, he completed a £50m move to Manchester United this summer. The 21-year-old hasn’t even been capped for the England national side yet and is likely to be firmly wedged in at third choice for the right back berth behind Trent Alexander-Arnold and Kyle Walker.
There is huge value in taking a well estimated punt on young players in the modern day. Values can multiply following just one outstanding season and even a mere couple of months of impressive form can send values skyrocketing, as Longstaff’s rise attests to.
With all due respect to Longstaff, Maguire and Wan-Bissaka, Reinier has made a name for himself in the game far quicker than any of them managed.
As a result, a £36m punt on Reinier could see Everton triple, or even quadruple that figure a few years down the line. One only needs to acknowledge the calibre of clubs who are rivalling Everton for his signature to appreciate the enormity of his potential.
You wouldn’t think twice today about spending that figure on a 17-year-old Kylian Mbappe, who is now valued at £180m and is still only 20. That isn’t to say that Reinier will emulate Mbappe’s rise to stardom, but it proves that investing in young assets can be hugely profitable long term.
Joao Felix is another good example. Just one full season in the professional game – albeit an impressive one – has landed the teenager a £113m move to Atletico Madrid – just imagine what Reinier would be worth if he replicated the Portugal international’s 20-goal 2018/19 season.
Initially, £36m may seem steep to cough up for a player who is still crafting his trade in his formative years, but the state of the current market gives Everton plenty of reason to believe that this could actually be a shrewd piece of business.
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