Manchester City’s pursuit of Palmeiras youngster Heittor Vinicius has taken another small twist. Fresh reporting from Brazil suggests the City Football Group’s plans may have been different to what was first assumed.
When theinitial €20m offer emerged, Girona quickly became the expected destination for the 18-year-old. However, a new report now claims the proposal actually came from another CFG club.
According to journalist Valentin Furlan, the bid was submitted by Troyes and totalled €18m (£15.6m). It was made up of €15m (£13m) plus €3m (£2.6m) in bonuses.
Palmeiras does not want to sell
Furlan says the Brazilian side currently have no desire to sell Heittor, regardless of the approach from the City Football Group. This fits with recent reports indicating Palmeiras are preparing the striker for first-team football, rather than accelerating his exit.
Instead of treating him purely as another academy sale, the club increasingly appear to see sporting value in keeping him around manager Abel Ferreira’s squad.
The Palmeiras manager is said to rate Heittor highly. This strengthens the idea that the 18-year-old could soon be given opportunities with the senior side. Naturally, that would make any immediate transfer more complicated.
Numbers piling up
The numbers also continue to move in the right direction. Heittor now has 15 goal contributions in 18 matches this season and remains Palmeiras’ leading scorer at academy level in 2026.
For Manchester City, none of this necessarily ends the pursuit. It does, however, suggest the City Football Group may have to adjust their strategy.
The first offer has already been rejected, the proposed destination appears to have been Troyes rather than Girona, and Palmeiras are becoming increasingly convinced the striker is worth keeping for a little longer.