Arsenal and Liverpool boost, director claims 'remarkable' wonderkid 'will be sold' for £30m
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A bid of around £30 million could be enough to secure the services of a wonderkid defender on the radars of Premier League giants Arsenal and Liverpool.
At least, that is according to the man who has watched one of South America’s rising stars soar through the youth ranks of the three-time Copa Libertadores champions.
TBR this week provided a run down of the list of targets Arsenal could move for if Mikel Arteta and co decide that a talented young defender or two is required in 2025. Valencia stopper Cristhian Mosquera and Nantes’ Nathan Zeze have admirers at Arsenal.
As does Girona’s swashbuckling left-back Miguel Gutierrez.
But while the trio would all arrive at the Emirates having already proven themselves in another major European league, Vitor Reis is more of an unknown quantity.
Arsenal and Liverpool told how much it will cost to sign Vitor Reis
Unknown, at least, in England.
Joao Paulo Sampaio, the head of Palmeiras’ academy, feels it is only a matter of time before Vitor Reis can be considered a household name.
He is convinced that the 18-year-old can go on to captain Brazil one day, while wearing the bright white of Real Madrid or the blue-and-red stripes of Barcelona. The first step towards achieving those ambitions, Sampaio says, would be to seal a big-money move across the Atlantic.
“There were two teams that talked about [signing Reis for] 30 million euros and Palmeiras refused,” Sampaio explains, believing that it would take a league-record fee to prise the teenager away from the Allianz Parque.
“Vitor Reis will be the most expensive defender in the history of Brazil. He will be sold for around 35 million euros.”
Sampaio believes that Reis could leave Palmeiras in the summer of 2025 rather than in the coming winter window. Liverpool have also been linked with Brazil Under 17 international Reis.
“Palmeiras did not want to listen (to any offers for Vitor Reis) because they are focused on the 2025 Club World Cup. If there is anything, just like what happened with [Chelsea’s Wesley] Estevao, it will be after the World Cup.”
“Vitor Reis has always been captain of the Brazilian U-17 and U-15 teams, and he will be captain of the main team as well.
“If you have a kid at 18 years old [playing at] this level… He has played as a starter in the Libertadores and in the World Cups. He is a young man with the level of Real Madrid and other teams of the world. These young guys want to play for Real Madrid and Barcelona.
“He has a good reading of the game, he can very different passes, with the speed he has…”
Palmeiras Vitor Reis already showing some ‘remarkable’ talent
Reis is under contract at Palmeiras until December 2028. He has featured in 11 of Palmeiras’ last 17 league games, only missing a couple due to a muscle injury which kept him on the sidelines for a brief period.
With Premier League clubs finding it harder to sign the best Europe-based talent in the post-Brexit era, extra focus has been placed on the Brazilian market of late.
Arsenal and Liverpool have both benefitted from casting their nets a little wider. Gabriel Martinelli was a constant thorn in Le Parisien’s side as Arsenal defeated PSG in the Champions League this week.
Liverpool, meanwhile, have a potential long-term Alisson Becker replacement honing his talents in Marcelo Pitaluga.
“A move to a top European side seems like a matter of time now,” Marcos Watts, a Brazilian footballl expert, tells Transfermarkt.
“Despite not being a very physical player, he's very good in the air and has shown great awareness for an 18-year-old. He's also very good on the ball.
“Another good mental attribute he's already shown is his decision making. He knows where the spaces are and knows when to move forward or when to make a tackle, something that is quite remarkable for a player so young.”
