What to expect from new Borussia Dortmund signing Reinier Jesus
Playstyle
Over the course of his career so far, Reiner’s style of play has favored the role of a second striker, coming in more centrally on the field. His 6 goals, and 2 assists across 14 appearances for Flamengo in the 2019/20 season exemplify just this, with then manager Jorge Jesus being quick to point out that Reiner would likely struggle if put out wide. In an interview where the Brazilian youngster was being compared to Portuguese talent Joao Felix, he stated that:
"“Reinier is a very intelligent kid, he likes to learn and I can say that he’s exceptionally gifted. Physically, he’s exceptionally gifted for his position of the second striker, but don’t put him on the wing because it’s going to strangle him.”"
Physicality is also something Michael Zorc pointed to when speaking of the player once his signing had been officially announced. “We’ve been keeping tabs on the lad for over two years; in addition to his outstanding technical qualities, he also boasts a strong physical presence.”
At 6’2”, Reinier already has height to his advantage, which he has shown he is capable of using exquisitely. For a player that doesn’t generally operate as a target-man, his ability to head the ball is quite good, as exemplified by a few headers during his time in Brazil’s top flight.
Reiner’s physically is also supplemented by the sheer quality of his technical ability. The player is more than capable of dribbling past his opponents with silky smooth footwork to aid his cause. It generally doesn’t take Reinier more than a few easy touches to befuddle his opposition and get past them. This, coupled with his physicality will likely make him a nightmare to face for Bundesliga opposition.
In addition to his strength and fancy footwork, when suiting up for the Brazilian national team Reinier has shown his ability to score from outside of the box, an ability Dortmund will certainly appreciate considering many of their goals often come from intricate interplay within the penalty area, and while they already have a couple long shot specialists, it won’t hurt to have one more willing to take chances from range.