Fabrizio Romano confirms City will sign Brazilian Wonderkid that is worth over £40m
Manchester City are unusually active in the mid-season transfer window, driven by inconsistent form and manager Pep Guardiola’s desire to strengthen both defense and attack. The club is working on three major deals, including an exciting €40M transfer for Brazilian wonderkid Vitor Reis.
Renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that City have agreed personal terms with the 18-year-old Palmeiras center-back. “Contract ready and green light from Vitor Reis and his agent!” Romano stated. Negotiations are advancing rapidly between City and Palmeiras to finalize the deal, with City eager to avoid rival bids.
Reis, a standout performer in Brazil’s Serie A, made 16 appearances for Palmeiras last season. Known for his ball-winning abilities, aerial dominance, and composure in possession, he aligns with Guardiola’s playing philosophy. Although analytics firm SciSports projects him as a rotation player for now, his rapid growth suggests he could soon surpass expectations.
In addition to Vitor Reis, City are progressing with deals for two more targets: Lens center-back Abdukodir Khusanov and Eintracht Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush. Romano revealed that City are leading the race for 21-year-old Khusanov, with positive talks ongoing. Represented by super-agent Jorge Mendes, the Uzbekistan international has expressed a strong desire to join the Premier League champions.
Meanwhile, Marmoush has caught Guardiola’s eye with his stellar performances in the Bundesliga. The versatile forward can play as a central striker or winger, drawing comparisons to Julian Alvarez for his adaptability. Despite Eintracht Frankfurt’s reluctance to sell, Marmoush is reportedly eager to seize the opportunity, and his agents are in advanced discussions with City. Negotiations between the clubs are set to begin soon, although Eintracht is expected to demand a substantial fee.
If all three deals materialize, Manchester City are on course to invest over €100M this January. These ambitious moves highlight the club’s commitment to bolstering their squad as they aim to get their season back on track.
Manchester City struggling
For the first time since Pep Guardiola’s arrival at the club, reigning Premier League champions Manchester City are in a serious rut of form.
They have recorded successive wins in their last two Premier League outings (Against West Ham and Leicester City), but prior to that had won just one of their previous 13 games across all competitions, including losses that put them out of the Carabao Cup, left them teetering on the edge of Champions League qualification and 12 points off the pace in the Premier League having played a game more than frontrunners Liverpool.
The unprecedented run appears to have stabilised somewhat in recent weeks, but the Cityzens are still expected to be active in the January transfer window to bolster their ranks and inject fresh energy into their squad, which has looked exhausted for much of the season to date.
Rodri’s knee injury has seen them target a midfielder, with the likes of Martin Zubimendi, Douglas Luiz and Nicolo Rovella all having been linked as the Etihad outfit look to bolster their options in the middle of the park. Now though, Guardiola’s side could be closing in on a signing who would provide welcome support in another area of the pitch.
Man City submit bid for defender
That comes as Sky Reporter Patrick Berger has revealed that the Cityzens are “on the verge” of signing RC Lens centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov this January. City have “submitted an official bid” worth “€50m including bonuses” [£41.6m] to sign the 20-year-old defender, with the player himself keen to make the move to Manchester in the coming weeks.
Abdukodir Khusanov
Indeed, Guardiola’s side have even gone as far as to offer him a “long term” contract already, suggesting that a deal is almost complete. Signed by Lens just 18 months ago, the centre-back has risen to prominence quickly in France, with teammate Brice Samba dubbing him a “monster” of a player earlier in the campaign.
Though football analysts disagree over his potential readiness for Premier League action immediately, one thing that no-one can deny is his sheer speed. The Uzbek defender clocked a top speed of 37km/h earlier in the season as he ran back to stop a counter attack.
This makes him even faster than Man City speedster Erling Haaland, who was clocked earlier in the campaign with a top speed of 35.7km/h, while he is not far off the Premier League record speed of 37.38 km/h set by Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven last campaign.
With Manchester City looking leggy this season, he will certainly provide energy and recovery pace to Guardiola’s backline, something that they have been sorely missing as a result of Kyle Walker’s rapid decline in recent months. Have the Blues just found their next stalwart in defence?
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