Vitor Reis hands honest Pep Guardiola advice to under-fire Claudio Echeverri | OneFootball

Manchester City defender Vitor Reis has revealed the conversations he had with Pep Guardiola before joining Girona on loan for the 2025-26 season.

Reis, 19, was brought in at the Etihad Stadium in January as an emergency addition to Manchester City’s injury-riddled backline – alongside Abdukodir Khusanov – midway through Guardiola’s most challenging season in charge of the Blues.

The young Brazilian did not feature much in his first six months in England as he adapted to Guardiola’s methods and learnt his trade day-in and day-out in the first-team, who managed to put a run together in the business end of the previous season to manage a third-place Premier League finish.

The FIFA Club World Cup campaign also provided a chance for Reis to get further minutes in the locker as officials at the Etihad Stadium deliberated over the ideal short-term plan for the teenage star’s development in a star-studded Manchester City side.

Hugo Viana was appointed Manchester City’s director of football in the summer and in his first transfer window at the Etihad Stadium, the Portuguese conducted a thorough rejig of Guardiola’s squad and signed off on a series of season-long loans.

Alongside Jack Grealish and Manuel Akanji – the pair of whom left Manchester City this summer to play regularly for Everton and Inter Milan this term ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup – City also sent many young stars out on loan.

Reis joined Manchester City’s sister club Girona – owned by the City Football Group (CFG) – as he sought to get regular senior minutes under his belt in the Spanish top-flight and step outside his comfort zone.

In an interview with EFE Noticias this week, the young Brazilian has revealed his talks with Guardiola before a decision was made on his plans for the current season. “My first idea was to stay (at Manchester City this season) but then I had a chat with Pep (Guardiola),” Reis said.

“He (Guardiola) was very realistic and I understood the best thing for me was to come to Girona to have minutes because it would be complicated with so many defenders. I am very happy here (at Girona) and I want to give everything to help the team and to continue winning.”

Reis has been tipped by many in the game to become a focal part of Guardiola’s squad in the seasons to come, with many also deeming the teenager the perfect long-term solution for Brazil’s senior National Team.

“I felt at home at Manchester City from the first day,” Reis added. “When Pep (Guardiola) arrived, my whole family wanted to take a picture with him. Me too. Pep told me he had seen some of my games with Palmeiras and I had a lot of leadership, he liked it very much. I learned a lot from him. All players would like to train with the best coach in the world.”

Reis is reaping the rewards of listening to Manchester City’s leadership and his words of praise for Guardiola’s advice come at a time when Claudio Echeverri – currently on loan at Bayer Leverkusen – is facing an uncertain future in Germany after a disappointing first half of the season in the Bundesliga so far.

Manchester City face Leverkusen in the UEFA Champions League next week and talks are expected between executives of both clubs on the future of Echeverri’s loan, which could be cut short in January as City assess alternative destinations for the Argentine playmaker.