Vitor Reis admits willingness to play in midfield for Manchester City | OneFootball

Manchester City may have their next highly-versatile central defender currently under development in the Spanish game, a new interview has highlighted.

The 20-year-old Brazilian has already been earmarked as a future first-team option at the Etihad Stadium, with previous reports stressing that Reis is viewed as a confirmed part of Pep Guardiola’s 2026/27 squad list.

Manchester City’s decision to send him on loan to Girona was never about distancing him from the first-team picture, but instead accelerating his tactical education within a system closely aligned to Pep Guardiola’s own principles.

That strategy has been repeatedly underlined recently, with City reviewing Reis’ progress frequently in La Liga and having rejected approaches from the likes of Bayern Munich and FC Porto during the last summer market. The intention has always been development, reinforcing his status as one of the club’s most important long-term investments following a £29.6 million move from Palmeiras in January 2025.

Reis’ pathway also fits into a broader pattern at City where defenders are increasingly required to operate across multiple roles. The likes of John Stones and Josko Gvardiol have been used centrally, out wide, and in midfield positions under Guardiola, and for a young defender hoping to thrive in such an environment, adaptability is essential.

Speaking during a new conversation with Trivela, as translated and relayed by Sport Witness, Vitor Reis has spoken of the decision to join Girona for the course of the ongoing 2025/26 campaign.

“It has been a very good evolution for me. It was a great choice to be here,” the Brazilian insisted.

He continued, “I am getting minutes and improving a lot, without a doubt. I believe I can already see evolution in my whole game, both with and without the ball.”

Looking at the importance of versatility for the purpose of a future at the Etihad Stadium, Vitor Reis said, “At City, centre-backs have to play in more than one position, because [Pep] Guardiola likes that.

“He uses centre-backs as full-backs and even as midfielders. I am very open to learning. If I have to play as a midfielder or as a full-back, I will be 100 per cent willing to learn that.”

These comments only strengthen the belief that Vitor Reis is being shaped specifically for Pep Guardiola’s tactical demands, with his comfort in possession, calm distribution, and growing positional awareness at Girona suggesting he could one day mirror the hybrid role City have previously entrusted to players such as John Stones.

With Manchester City also moving to strengthen their central defensive options through the arrival of Marc Guehi this month and the recall of Max Alleyne from a loan at Watford, competition will only intensify although Reis’ openness to learning could become one of his biggest assets when pre-season comes around later this year.

Looking ahead, Vitor Reis’ willingness to adapt tactically may be decisive in accelerating his integration into the first-team. City are not just developing a centre-back, but instead moulding a multi-functional defender capable of thriving in Guardiola’s complex system.