Real Madrid have officially confirmed the purchase of 18-year-old attacking midfielder Reinier from Flamengo in a deal understood to be worth €35 million (£29.8m/$38.8m).

The Brazilian wonderkid, dubbed the ‘new Kaka’ , has signed a long-term contract until 2026 and will initially join Real Madrid’s Castilla side.

He follows in the footsteps of Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo in moving to the Spanish capital from Brazil at a young age, with the former also joining from Flamengo, while the latter was plucked from Neymar’s old club, Santos.

Reinier had been linked with Los Blancos for some time, with reports suggesting his move would be confirmed soon after the player’s 18th birthday on January 19.

This tactic was applied to the signings of both Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, wrapping deals up for the teenagers early so as to avoid paying astronomical sums later on.

In fact, the amount paid for Reinier represents something of a coup for Real Madrid, who were initially quoted a whopping €70m (£59.7m/$78.1m) for the teenager, but have now ended up paying half that fee.

In 14 senior appearances in Brazil’s top flight, starting just eight times, Reinier has netted six goals and registered a further two assists – an impressive haul for such a young player.

He has already earned silverware in his native land as Flamengo were crowned domestic champions and won the Copa Libertadores last year, before narrowly losing out to Liverpool in extra-time of the Club World Cup final in Qatar.

In fact, in his 15 senior appearances, he has never once finished on the losing side, with a record of 14 wins and one draw since making his debut.

The attacking midfielder will first fulfil his international duties with Brazil’s Under-23s team as they participate in a pre-Olympic tournament before joining up with Madrid, with the Selecao hopeful of sealing one of two spots at the showpiece event in Tokyo this summer.