After impressing since breaking into the first team at Palmeiras, the 19-year-old centre-back is now heading to European football.
Brazilian centre-back Vitor Reis, who left Palmeiras to sign for Premier League giants Manchester City, is a winner and a leader.
Reis, a player who has also attracted interest from European champions Real Madrid, has worn the captain's armband for both the Palmeiras and Brazil youth teams and played a key role in a number of trophy victories. With his club, Reis won silver at every age group level as he rose through the ranks of Allianz Parque, and in the national format he tasted victory in the 2023 South American Under-17 Championship.
Given his opportunity last year in the Palmeiras senior team, Reis grabbed the opportunity with both hands. No one could oust the 19-year-old from Abel Ferreira's team – until, of course, he was inevitably picked up by the European powerhouse.
Due to an injury to the first team player, Reis made Palmeira's debut
Last June, Palmeiras were already without Gustavo Gómez, who had been called up by Paraguay for the Copa América, when central defender Murilo Cerqueira suffered an injury late in a match against Fortaleza. With the team trailing 3-0, Ferreira handed Reis his debut – hardly ideal circumstances to make an elite-level bow.
However, he impressed enough to be given his first start days later, in a São Paulo derby against Corinthians. Palmeiras won 2-0, and it was the teenager who sealed the victory by scoring the second. Since then he has been a regular for the Verdão, making 22 appearances and scoring a second time in a cup match against Flamengo.
What are Reis' strengths as a player?
Among Reis' qualities as a player, two particularly notable qualities are good positioning and tactical intelligence. He is right-footed, but can play as either a right- or left-sided centre-back in a back four. Furthermore, he has shown in several matches that he can operate in a five-man defense, as a central defender or as a right-sided central defender. This versatility has allowed him to remain in the squad regardless of the system and has contributed greatly to his smooth transition into the first team.
Born in São José dos Campos, some 80 kilometers outside São Paulo, Reis also has excellent technical ability on the ball, allowing him to distribute effectively from the back and serve as a useful launcher of attacks. With the ball at his feet, Reis has made it abundantly clear since his promotion to the Palmeiras first team that he is as at home spraying passes from defense as he is at youth level.
When it comes to aerial duels and set pieces, Reis' height – he stands at 1.80 meters tall – makes him an important asset to the back line. He has a kind of goal-scoring instinct in the opponent's penalty area and that is why he has already been on target twice as a professional. However, his height does not equate to reduced mobility, and his powerful run and long stride are a great asset when battling for the ball with opposing attackers. The combination of physical prowess and immense football talent makes Reis a complete defender who is ideally suited to the modern game.
Ready to follow other Palmeiras starlets to Europe
In the Brazilian youth set-up, Reis followed up victory in the South American Championship by captaining the Brazilians at the Under-17 World Cup last November. Despite missing some big players, the Seleçao went into the tournament as one of the favorites.
Reis started all five of his country's matches in Indonesia, where Brazil's hopes of a fifth global under-17 title were ended in the quarter-finals by a Claudio Echeverri-inspired Argentina. Echeverri, who has now also been signed by City, scored a hat-trick to eliminate the Verdeamarela.
In 2023, Reis, together with compatriots Endrick Felipe and Luis Guilherme, was included in the annual list of the 60 best young players in the world in the British newspaper The Guardian. The trio were clubmates at Palmeiras at the time. Endrick and Guilherme then moved to Real Madrid and West Ham respectively – and it was only a matter of time before Reis was also on his way to Europe.
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