Manchester City have entered negotiations to seal the signing of Palmeiras defender Vitor Reis, according to reports.
The Brazilian has been on the radar of several other clubs, but the Premier League champions are said to be prepared to pay a premium in order to secure his services.
TBRFootball claim that the Cityzens are “moving fast to beat both Arsenal and Chelsea” in the battle for Reis.
It is believed that Pep Guardiola’s side are willing to table an offer in the region of £40m, which is well above the £30m that teams like Chelsea were looking to spend on the centre-back.
Reis would not join City this month
Even though a deal could be wrapped for the Brazilian over the coming days and weeks, fans won’t be seeing him in a City shirt any time soon.
Palmeiras are reportedly insisting that Reis stays with them until the summer so he can participate in the FIFA Club World Cup in June.
City clearly feel that the teenager possesses a great deal of potential if they are willing to wait six months for the player to join them.
Another centre-half could make the switch to the Etihad
While Reis’s move to City may be delayed until the end of the season, the club are thought to be looking to snap up another young defender during the January transfer window.
Talks are currently being held with Lens about recruiting Abdukodir Khusanov. The 20-year-old has also attracted interest from the likes of Tottenham and Newcastle but Guardiola’s team appear to be in the driving seat for his signature as well.
The transfer fee could be a potential stumbling block. Some reports had put his price as low as £20m but it has subsequently been claimed that he could cost around €40m (£33.5m). It remains to be seen if City are willing to shell out £70m+ on two inexperienced centre-backs in the same month.
Find out who is in Manchester City’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here
