Who is Vitor Reis, the Palmeiras centre-back interesting Real Madrid?

Palmeiras defender Vitor Reis, who has emerged as a transfer target for LaLiga giants Real Madrid, is a winner and a leader. He has worn the captain’s armband for both the Palmeiras and the Brazil youth teams, playing a key role in a number of trophy triumphs. With his club, Reis won silverware at every age-group level as he rose through the ranks at Allianz Parque, and in the national set-up he tasted victory in the South American Under-17 Championship in 2023.

Now, having been given his shot in Palmeiras’ senior side in recent months, Reis has grabbed that opportunity with both hands. It doesn’t look like anybody can dislodge the 18-year-old from Abel Ferreira’s team - until, of course, he is snapped up by a major European club such as Madrid.

Reis given Palmeiras debut after Murilo injury

In June, Palmeiras were already without Gustavo Gómez, who had been called up by Paraguay for Copa América duty, when central defender Murilo Cerqueira picked up an injury late on in a game against Fortaleza. With the team 3-0 down, Ferreira handed Reis his debut - hardly the ideal circumstances to be making your elite-level bow. However, he impressed sufficiently to be given his first start days later, in a São Paulo derby against Corinthians, no less. Palmeiras won 2-0, and it was the teenager who sealed victory by scoring the second. Since then, he has been ever present for the Verdão and has been back on the scoresheet, netting in a cup game against Flamengo.

What are Reis’ strengths as a player?

Among Reis’ qualities as a player, two particularly notable traits are his good positioning and tactical intelligence. He’s right-footed, but is capable of playing either as the right or left-sided central defender in a back four. What’s more, in several games he has shown his ability to operate within a five-man defence, playing either as the middle or right-sided centre-back alongside Gómez and Murilo. This versatility has allowed him to remain in the side whatever the system, and has had a big hand in his smooth transition to first-team soccer.

Born in São José dos Campos, some 50 miles outside São Paulo, Reis also boasts outstanding technical ability on the ball, enabling him to distribute effectively from the back and serve as a useful launcher of attacks. In most games, indeed, he has registered a pass-completion rate that has been above, or at least close to, the 95% mark. With the ball at his feet, Reis has made it abundantly clear since his elevation to the first team that he’s just as at home spraying passes out from defence as he was at youth level.

When it comes to aerial duels and set pieces, meanwhile, Reis’ height - he’s 6ft 1in tall - makes him an important asset to the backline. He has something of a goalscoring instinct in the opposing box, which is why he has already been on target twice in his 10 games as a professional. His height doesn’t equate to reduced mobility, though, and his powerful running and long stride are a major asset when he’s battling for the ball with opposition attackers. Combining physical prowess and immense footballing talent, Reis is a complete defender who is ideally suited to the modern game.

Poised to follow fellow Palmeiras starlets to Europe

In the Brazil youth set-up, Reis followed up victory at the South American Championship by captaining the Brazilians at the Under-17 World Cup last November. Despite missing some major players, the Seleçao went into the tournament as one of the favourites.

Reis started all five of his country’s games in Indonesia, where Brazil’s hopes of a fifth U-17 global crown were ended in the quarter-finals by a Claudio Echeverri-inspired Argentina. Echeverri, who has since been signed by Premier League heavyweights Manchester City, scored a hat-trick to eliminate the Verdeamarela.

Last year, Reis was included in UK newspaper The Guardian’s annual list of the top 50 young players on the planet, together with compatriots Endrick Felipe and Luis Guilherme. At the time, the trio were club-mates at Palmeiras, but Endrick and Guilherme have now moved on to Real Madrid and West Ham, respectively. It seems like a matter of time before Reis is also on his way to Europe.