Khaldoon Al Mubarak has been speaking to Manchester City after a strange 2024/25 campaign.
The Chairman of Manchester City has reflected following a season where Pep Guardiola failed to win silverware for the first time since the 2016/17 campaign, discussing a range of topics on YouTube.
During the extensive interview, Al Mubarak hailed a talent who is barely getting a chance at the Etihad Stadium right now in Vitor Reis.
Khaldoon Al Mubarak praises Vitor Reis after tough start to life at Manchester City
The Citizens signed the Brazilian in a £29.4m move from Palmeiras in January, at the same time another central defender in Abdukodir Khusanov was signed from RC Lens in a £33.8m deal.
Guardiola preferred the latter, handing the Uzbekistan international nine appearances before Josko Gvardiol moved into the centre of defence instead, after Nico O’Reilly started to shine on the left.
Reis – who Khusanov admires – was only given three chances to play, before the South American was left out of the final six Premier League squads.
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Nevertheless, Al Mubarak has faith in the 19-year-old, telling Manchester City: “Vitor Reis, a very talented central defender, very versatile, young, but he has all of the attributes of what we think will be a tremendous player for this club.”
Arsenal and Real Madrid were also keen to sign the teenager before Manchester City outbid the both of them, so the prospect born in Sao Jose dos Campos clearly has huge potential.
Ederson agrees with Khaldoon Al Mubarak
Ederson has praised Reis even more emphatically than Al Mubarak, stating that he feels his fellow countryman will undoubtedly become one of the best defenders around in future due to his attitude.
PRIMEIRO DERBY, PRIMEIRO GOL! 👏🐷 Vitor Reis, da base do Palmeiras, entrou de titular contra o Corinthians e resolveu! #Brasileirão2024 pic.twitter.com/IuYAcFW70t
— TNT Sports BR (@TNTSportsBR) July 2, 2024
The Manchester City No.31 told ESPN Brasil: “Vitor has a very great talent, with a very promising future. We talk every day, we are always together, me, him, Savinho and Matheus Nunes. He is very promising. It’s hard to put a 19-year-old defender directly in the Premier League, especially in City, but he has already had some games and performed very well. I see him as a great future of City’s defence.
“He is a player who listens a lot, who seeks to evolve, both in training, in the gym, and in the English classes he is taking. If he continues with this mentality, this desire to evolve, he will certainly be one of the best defenders in the world in the future.”
John Stones could leave Manchester City this summer, so there does seem to be a pathway emerging for both Reis and Khusanov at the Etihad Stadium.