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Real Madrid's decision to sign teenage sensation Endrick is already being lauded as a major coup for the Spanish giants, who fought off a number of European superclubs for the Palmeiras forward's signature in December 2022.
The youngster, who was loaned back to the Brazilian club for 18 months following his £52 million capture, has started this season brightly, scoring on his La LIga debut after coming off the bench in a 3-0 win over Valladolid last Sunday.
The 18-year-old is merely the latest Brazilian prodigy snapped up by Los Blancos, following the 2018 arrival of Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo's transfer from Santos a year later. For 2002 World Cup winner Kleberson, who joined Manchester United the summer after dazzling in Japan and South Korea, it's been strange to see so many youngsters given a chance to shine at one of Europe's biggest clubs.
"It's a different generation now," the former midfielder tells FourFourTwo exclusively on behalf of Free Bets, the home of betting sites. "For many, many years Brazil produced top, top players. But football has changed a lot. There is so much money in the sport and technology available to other countries; if a player has one good season or even one good game then massive clubs will look to sign them immediately.
"For me, back in 2002, I had to win the Brazilian league and win the World Cup before even being considered for a big move to, for example, Manchester United.
"I don't want to say that these players [Endrick, Vini and Rodrygo] won't get to the level of Ronaldinho, Rivaldo and Ronaldo, but they have had less time to grow in Brazil and hone their craft. They have all joined Real Madrid as 18-year-olds. There is massive pressure to play for a European giant like Real Madrid."
Based on his own experiences, Kleberson believes the Brazilian top-flight represents a more merciful finishing school than the Santiago Bernabeu.
"Don't get me wrong, the Brazilian league is a very good league, but they play with more freedom there; the expectations are different," says the 45 year old. "In Brazil, you can get one touch of the ball in 45 minutes of football but if that touch is an assist or a goal, then nobody cares. At Real Madrid there is more focus on statistics and always being involved in a game. There is a lot of adaptation that is needed."
Saying that, Kleberson feels certain Endrick has what it takes to compete for a spot in the Real Madrid starting lineup already.
"I think Endrick is growing quickly; you have seen this for the national team," says Kleberson of a player who has already scored three goals in 10 Seleceo appearances. "It just depends how he adapts to this new environment in Madrid. But his quality is unquestionable. I don't want to compare him to a player like Cristiano Ronaldo but he has so much talent."
Now, the question is whether Endrick will be able to nail down a spot in the Real Madrid team. This summer also saw Los Blancos land long-term target Kylian Mbappe from Paris-Saint Germain. The Frenchman is likely to start at centre-forward, with the likes of Vinicius, Rodrygo, last season's breakout star Jude Bellingham and even Turkish starlet Arda Guler competing for places around him.
"It's a good problem to have!" Explains Kleberson. "Endrick is going to have to be prepared to play a lot less minutes for Madrid. Those four won't play together each week. Endrick will have to be patient and understand that he is there to take his chance when he is handed an opportunity. Will Rodrygo move on and transfer? Maybe. That's another question that might be answered soon."
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