After experiencing a rough patch in their season, Manchester City decided to be active in the transfer market this January, making several signings.
Among their new transfers is 18-year-old centre-back Vitor Reis from Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras, who was acquired in a €35m deal.
In this scouting report, we will analyse his game, looking at his performances in Brazil and exploring how he might fit into Manchester City's tactical setup.
This tactical analysis will cover Reis' role in build-up play, defensive moments, 1v1 defending, overall passing ability, and reading of the game.
Vitor Reis primarily plays as a centre-back (CCB, RCB, LCB) and is right-footed.
Standing at 6’1” and just 18 years old, he already showcases impressive qualities.
His strengths include his composure, technical ability, aerial duels, and his 1v1 defending.
One standout feature of his defensive play is his maturity in 1v1 situations and staying calm and composed.
Instead of overcommitting or being overly aggressive, he remains patient and doesn't often use the wrong leg.
He times his tackles and works hard to win the ball back.
What Manchester City needs is exactly that: someone who can defend in tight spaces, excel in 1v1 duels, and be solid in defending the box.
A great player on the ball, with intelligence in decision-making and the ability to stay composed without being overly aggressive or careless.
Vitor Reis has all these qualities, making him a perfect fit for City's tactical setup.
Who Is Vitor Reis?
Vitor Reis has spent his entire career playing top-flight football with Palmeiras.
Highly sought after this summer, he caught the attention of clubs like Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Barcelona, who closely monitored his progress.
Reis is an exceptionally intelligent player on the ball, with outstanding reading of the game.
He is great at playing long balls to switch the play and breaking defensive lines with direct vertical passes.
While his physicality is solid, adding more strength could help him become an even more dominant centre-back.
What Type Of Center-Backs Do Manchester City Sign?
Since Pep Guardiola took charge, Manchester City have invested heavily in defenders, making it the position they prioritize the most for reinforcement.
Pep is very picky about selecting his defenders.
He favours versatile players capable of operating in a two-man centre-back pairing and a three-man backline.
They must have the skill set to occasionally play as full-backs, whether inverting into midfield or not.
City look for complete centre-backs who can adapt to multiple roles, making Vitor Reis a perfect fit for their tactical setup.
He can take the role of a centre-back in a two-man paring or the three-man backline, and surely Pep will try him out in that inverted full-back role similar to those like Nathan Aké or Joško Gvardiol.
Vitor Reis Player Radar Chart
Vitor Reis ranks highly in defensive duels, placing in the 94th percentile, and in aerial duels, where he sits in the 75th percentile.
This highlights his activity and his presence on the pitch.
He also ranks in the 77th percentile for accurate passes, which shows his impressive ball-playing ability.
Interestingly, he ranks in the 67th percentile among centre-backs for goal contributions per 90 minutes, which is an interesting statistic that is part of his game.
It would be great if he can work on improving his progressive passing stats a bit more and getting his aerial duel win rate higher than the 61st percentile.
However, he is only 18 years old, and all the minutes aren’t there yet to fully judge his stats.
Still, it looks like a very solid foundation upon which to build.
Vitor Reis Passing Ability
What makes Vitor Reis such a great fit for a team like Manchester City is his ability to play the ball under pressure without feeling threatened by the opponent's press.
Leaving the ball at his feet even in the last minute for accurate passes.
This makes him a great addition to City’s defence and build-up play and aligns perfectly with Pep Guardiola's tactical demands.
Vitor Reis Progressive Pass Map
His progressive pass map shows his exceptional passing ability.
Most of his passes are directed to the right side of the pitch, where he prefers to use his right foot.
However, he is also capable of playing both sides of the pitch effectively.
Vitor Reis Pass Map
His regular pass map from the 2024 season shows just how active he is on the ball.
It's impressive to see, especially considering he’s just a teenager.
You’d expect the map to be this full at the top-flight level for a started player, but for a teenager, it’s great to see.
Vitor Reis Positioning & Heat Map
His positioning on his heat map is interesting.
He plays higher up the pitch than a regular centre-back, partly because of Palmeiras’ system, which allows centre-backs to push higher up the field.
This makes him perfect for the Manchester City side, which is ball-dominant and has centre-backs who often operate close to the halfway line.
From his positioning, you can see how high the defenders push when in possession, similar to how Manchester City plays right now.
This showcases his intelligence and game-reading ability.
This allows him to be high up the field, helping the team progress the ball into the final third.
Vitor Reis Defensive Actions
He may not be the most muscular defender in terms of defending ability, but he uses his body very effectively.
He excels at pushing opponents off the ball and positioning himself between them and the ball, as shown above, where he shoulders the opposing player off the ball.
This is something he loves doing while defending, especially in a high line, which is a high-risk, high-reward strategy.
His defensive territory map shows most of his defensive actions around the halfway line, where Palmeiras prefers to defend their high line.
Thus, he is a great fit for Manchester City.
It's also interesting to note his interceptions in the box, which are crucial and something City particularly needs.
His high regains map shows how active he is in the higher zones of the pitch, where Palmeiras prefers to implement a quick press to win the ball back.
With 46 counter-pressing regains and 17 high regains, he demonstrated his intelligence in stopping the opponent's counter-attacks and winning possession.
His ability to disrupt attacks and recover the ball quickly is valuable for a team like Manchester City who need something like that.
Vitor Reis Ball Progression
Vitor Reis ball progression map shows how he likes to take strides from the centre of the pitch and try to break the lines with his ball-carrying ability in transition, not just by passing.
A great example of a player like this already at City is John Stones, who took on that inverted role and often broke forward with his excellent dribbling ability.
Reis could replicate this exactly, bringing a similar profile to City's style of play.
Conclusion
Remember, Vitor Reis is only 18 years old and already plays for one of the best clubs in the world.
Despite a rough patch of form at City, they are still a great club.
Reis is poised for greatness and has the potential to become an elite centre-back.
It would be a fantastic opportunity for him to start his career at Manchester City under Pep Guardiola.
He could learn from many other top defenders already at the club there.
There's a reason City are pushing for him to join this January rather than waiting until the summer.
They are in dire need of a defender, and he is the perfect fit.
He will gradually gain minutes this season, likely playing some full-back or inverting into centre-back or midfield.
As he progresses, he will work his way toward a starting role next season.
A defender to watch not only in club football but also for the future of Brazil.
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