Manchester City may have paid over €37m for Vitor Reis, but the plan for the 19-year-old defender is anything but rushed.
[**ESPN Brazil**](https://www.espn.com.br/futebol/manchester-city/artigo/_/id/15820476/manchester-city-projeto-de-estrela-vitor-reis-palmeiras-sonha-convocacao-copa-do-mundo-2026) report that the Premier League champions are shaping the former Palmeiras defender’s career carefully while he plays on loan at Girona.
Reis has settled quickly in La Liga. He plays regularly and benefits from close monitoring through the City Football Group. The goal is simple: help him gain top-level experience and prepare him for the next stage, potentially Manchester City.
Inside the Etihad, he is already viewed as a future pillar of Pep Guardiola’s back line.
#### Why Girona makes sense
Manchester City’s current defensive line is packed with experience. Rúben Dias, Nathan Aké, John Stones, Joško Gvardiol and Abdukodir Khusanov are all ahead of him for now. Rather than leave him on the bench, City preferred to loan him to Girona, where he can play and grow.
According to ESPN, City review his progress every five matches. The plan is to bring him back for the 2026/27 season. He joins other top prospects such as Claudio Echeverri and Sverre Nypan, who were also signed recently and loaned out to gain experience.
#### Bayern and Porto interest rejected
Bayern Munich and Porto tried to sign Vitor Reis earlier this year, but City refused. They wanted to keep him within the group, where communication and control are easier. This patient approach mirrors the club’s internal development model.
Kevin De Bruyne’s rise is often cited as an example of the same long-term preparation.
#### Brazil call-up on the horizon
Reis is also catching the attention of Brazil’s national team staff. ESPN claim that Carlo Ancelotti and his assistants are monitoring his form ahead of the November friendlies against Senegal and Tunisia. His entourage believe he could soon make the senior squad and even fight for a place at the 2026 World Cup.
So far this season, the defender has played 528 minutes for Girona in La Liga. He is yet to score, but his consistency and maturity suggest that City’s project for him is working perfectly.