Manchester City have confirmed their second defensive signing in the space of 24 hours with the capture of highly rated centre-back Vitor Reis from Palmeiras.
Reis, 19, has signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with the club, keeping him at the Etihad Stadium until the summer of 2029. The move follows a deal for the Lens defender Abdukodir Khusanov, who joined City on Monday night.
Considered one of the top prospects in Brazil, Reis has played 22 times for Palmeiras and has represented his country’s Under-17s on eight occasions. The fee is widely reported to be £29.4 million.
Reis, who will wear the No 22 shirt, said: “I’m excited to join Manchester City, one of the biggest clubs in the world. Everyone has seen the amazing achievements in recent seasons, and I want to make my mark as we seek more trophies.
“Working with Pep Guardiola is something every young player wants to do, and I know he can help me to develop into the best player I can be.
“City also have a lot of experience of working with Brazilian footballers and joining the likes of Ederson and Savinho in the squad will be a big help to me.”
Director of Football Txiki Begiristain backed City boss Guardiola to help turn Reis into one of the world's top defenders.
“Vitor Reis is one of the most promising young defenders in the world and we’re delighted to been able to bring him here,” said Begiristain.
“In his short time in senior football in Brazil, he has shown he has the ability to go very far in the game and we know that working with Pep and our coaches will help to get the best out of him.
“He is excellent on the ball and outstanding in the air – he has all the attributes needed to be one of the best. Vitor is very young, but his quality is so high that we believe he can help us now and for a long time into the future.”
With City returning to form after a troubled finish to 2024, the club will hope their January business can propel them to a strong finish to the season.
The capture of Khusanov for a reported £33.8m was confirmed on Monday night with the 20-year-old Uzbek also agreeing a four-and-a-half-year deal. The central defender has won 18 caps for Uzbekistan and becomes the first player from his country to play in the Premier League.
Khusanov began his professional career in Belarus playing for Energetik-BGU before making the move to Ligue 1 in 2023, making 31 appearances for Lens.
“I’m absolutely delighted to be joining Manchester City, a club that I have enjoyed watching for a long time,” said Khusanov. “This is one of the best teams in the world and I've come here to win trophies.
“This squad is full of the best players in the world, and I can’t wait to meet them and play alongside them.
“And of course Pep Guardiola is one of the greatest coaches ever and I am so excited to learn from him and improve my game even more.
“This is a very proud moment for me and my family to be joining a great club like Manchester City and I’m more than ready for this challenge.”
City's two defensive recruits are expected to be joined in Manchester by an attacker in the shape of Eintracht Frankfurt's in-form Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush.
Marmoush has the second most goal involvements in Europe's top five leagues this season – behind his international teammate Mohamed Salah – having scored 15 goals and created nine more in the Bundesliga. He is expected to undergo a medical with the club on Tuesday.
