Now, though, Juventus have succeeded where Madrid could not and will pair Ronaldo with the next wunderkind to come out of Santos’ famed academy.
Jorge underwent his medical in Turin on Wednesday
Rarely do Real Madrid fail to land their preferred transfer target, but ultimately the Blancos had to admit defeat in their prolonged pursuit of Neymar. Their dreams of seeing the Brazil forward line up alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Santiago Bernabeu never came to fruition, and the last hopes of putting together that partnership evaporated when the five-time Ballon d’Or winner swapped the Spanish capital for Juventus in 2018. Now, though, Juventus have succeeded where Madrid could not and will pair Ronaldo with the next wunderkind to come out of Santos’ famed academy. What is more, they have clinched themselves in the process one of the best transfer deals of this summer window. Kaio Jorge, 19, underwent his medical in Turin on Wednesday after Juve and Santos agreed on a bargain €3 million deal for his services.
Kaio plays a more central, sacrificial role
It is a paltry sum for a youngster rated one of Brazil’s most promising footballers, who has taken South America by storm in the past 18 months but alienated many at Santos with his refusal to extend his contract beyond December, essentially obliging the club to sell him now or risk losing him for nothing in a few short months. The Italian giants have little to lose on this transfer for such a fee, having beaten out Milan and Benfica to gain his signature. Kaio will begin as their fourth-choice striker behind Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala and Alvaro Morata, with time to adapt to his new surroundings and slight pressure on his back. Nevertheless, the teenager brings something different to the table.
While inevitable comparisons have been made with Neymar, on the pitch, Kaio plays a more central, sacrificial role, holding up the ball to play in his teammates and not forcing his chances. However, he has shown at Vila Belmiro, particularly in Santos’ run to the 2020 Copa Libertadores final, where he netted five goals in 12 games, that he is more than capable of taking his opportunities when they arise.