Will Vitor Reis return to Manchester City from Girona for 2026/27 season? | OneFootball

Manchester City are delighted with Vítor Reis’ ongoing Girona loan spell, viewing it as another success of their long-term development strategy, according to reports.

The Etihad Stadium’s recruitment model has extended beyond immediate first-team needs for a long time, and the club has focused on building a regular supply of top talent that can be trained elsewhere to put them in with a chance of reaching Pep Guardiola’s roster.

The sister clubs within the City Football Group have been used smartly in this regard, especially Girona, where young, emerging players are provided with opportunities to play high-level European football within a familiar footballing framework.

Vítor Reis – the young Brazilian centre-back who joined Manchester City from Palmeiras in January 2025 – is the most recent example of that system working as intended, with the 20-year-old sent to Spain last summer with the objective of developing skills.

The youngster was advised to get used to a possession-based style, play regularly, and improve his defensive abilities in a competitive league setting, and with that goal has been reached, and in most ways, it has been surpassed.

What do Manchester City think of Vitor Reis’ loan?

Now, according to a report by Spanish newspaper AS, translated and relayed by Sport Witness, Manchester City are said to be ‘delighted’ with Vitor Reis’ development at their sister club over in Spanish football.

Under Míchel’s guidance, Reis has emerged as a key part of Girona’s defence, featuring in around 90 per cent of their matches and missing only two games all season, demonstrating a blend of consistency and calm authority.

Reis also ranks as one of the team’s best players in key defensive metrics, indicating both reliability and progress, while the integration between the two clubs acts as further proof of emerging players being showcased in a controlled environment.

Vitor Reis’ growth has been carefully planned, which lowers the risk of him having trouble adjusting when he comes back to Manchester, and his path appears similar to Savinho, who also used Girona as a platform before joining City’s senior team.

What could come next for Vitor Reis?

The club’s feedback has been very positive around the defender, and there is a growing expectation for Vitor Reis to come back to Manchester not as a prospect, but as a player who is ready to be a part of the first-team squad on a consistent basis.

Descriptions of his capability and evolution have been remarkable, with some asserting he has the skills to transform a major part of the club’s defensive future, and his progress has not gone unnoticed beyond the club level.

Carlo Ancelotti, coach of the Brazil national team, is believed to have been closely monitoring the defender and considers him to be a key part of the team’s long-term strategy, highlighting the fact that his progression is in line with elite-level expectations.

From a tactical perspective, Vitor Reis’ time with Girona has been beneficial, too, displaying composure under pressure, positional awareness, and progressive passing while playing in a team that values structured build-up and positional discipline.

The bigger picture demonstrates a model that continues to deliver, and Manchester City continue to get better at finding talent early, placing those emerging profiles in a controlled developmental environment, and bringing them back at the right moment.