'I don't want to be a Kaka' - Reinier out to be his own man at Dortmund

Reinier refuted comparisons to Brazilian Ballon d’Or winner Kaka and insists he’s out to be his own man with Borussia Dortmund.

Reinier stole headlines back in January upon completing a €30m deal to join Real Madrid from Flamengo on a contract until 2026.

Zinedine Zidane’s side have high hopes for the 18-year-old and allowed him to join Dortmund on loan for the next two seasons to continue his promising development at Signal Iduna Park.

Reinier has since linked up with his new teammates and hopes to show the world he is more than just another Kaka by making a name for himself in the Bundesliga.

‘That doesn’t bring me any pressure,” the Brazilian told the club’s website on being compared to the 2007 Ballon d’Or winner.

“I want to show my football. Of course, it’s a great thing to be compared with a player like that. But I want to show what kind of football player I am.”

Reinier will wear the number 20 shirt at Borussia Dortmund #BVB pic.twitter.com/dZ4lNMcJ4T

— BVB Buzz (@BVBBuzz) August 19, 2020

“Kaka is a player that I would like to model myself on,” Reinier added. “But I don’t want to be a second Kaka; I want to be Reinier.

“I like to play quickly, with short passes and one-twos. I like to help my teammates, to get them in good shooting positions or to have a go at goal myself.”

Reinier joins a group of promising young talents at Dortmund such as Erling Haaland and Jadon Sancho.

“My family and I could have stayed in Spain too,” the midfielder explained on his decision to join Dortmund.

“But when the option to join BVB came about, we didn’t need to think twice. BVB have a reputation for developing players. When this option came up, we knew that it would be the right one.”