Manchester City have loaned 19-year-old defender Vitor Reis to Girona, but the move is far from a simple summer exit.
[Brazilian outlet Trivela](https://trivela.com.br/inglaterra/vitor-reis-manchester-city-guardiola-emprestimo-girona/) have dug deep into the deal and brought “behind the scenes” details of how it happened, and why City are already thinking about what comes next.
The former Palmeiras man may have changed address, but he has stayed “at home” inside the City Football Group.
Sources close to the agreement told Trivela that the Premier League champions still see him as a key part of their medium and long-term project, which explains why they resisted letting him go elsewhere. In fact, Porto and Bayer Leverkusen both tried for him on loan and were knocked back.
The breakthrough came after a chat with Pep Guardiola. He praised Reis’ first six months at the Etihad, but admitted that, with the current defensive hierarchy, minutes would be hard to come by.
The Brazilian shared his dream of making the 2026 World Cup squad, and Pep agreed a full season of regular football could help catch Carlo Ancelotti’s eye.
Girona ticked every box: still within the group, easy to monitor, quick info-sharing, and the option to recall him at any point if needed. The loan has no purchase option, with a return pencilled in for next summer.
Manchester City are also keeping an eye on the contracts of their other centre-backs: John Stones is out of a deal at the end of this season, while Nathan Aké, Rúben Dias and Manuel Akanji are all only tied down until 2027.
A strong campaign in La Liga could put Reis, who is contracted until 2029, in prime position for a bigger role when he’s back.