Manchester City sign Palmeiras defender Reis

Manchester City have signed defender Vitor Reis from Brazilian Serie A side Palmeiras on a four-and-a-half-year contract, the Premier League club said on Tuesday.

The 19-year-old joins for a fee British media reports said was 29.6 million pounds ($36.20 million) from Palmeiras, who were reluctant to part with Reis, as they hoped to have him available for this year’s Club World Cup.

“Vitor Reis is one of the most promising young defenders in the world and we’re delighted to been able to bring him here,” City’s Director of Football Txiki Begiristain said in a club statement.

“In his short time in senior football in Brazil, he has shown he has the ability to go very far in the game and we know that working with Pep and our coaches will help to get the best out of him.”

A Brazil under-17 international, Reis has made 18 league appearances for Palmeiras and is considered a key component of City manager Pep Guardiola’s vision to reshape the squad.

Reis will line up alongside fellow promising youngster Abdukodir Khusanov, 20, who completed a 33.6 million pounds move from Lens on Monday as part of the team’s transition to a new generation.