Report: Real Madrid have decided not to sign £29m star who's about to join Man City, they have one big worry

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As Manchester City look set to sign Vitor Reis, it seems crystal clear that the decision-makers at the Etihad Stadium are ready to back Pep Guardiola, who signed a contract extension until 2027 in November.

TBR Football exclusively revealed Manchester City opened talks to sign Reis just a few days ago.

Fabrizio Romano reported on Monday that the Sky Blues have struck a verbal agreement with Palmeiras to sign Vitor Reis for £29 million.

TBR Football confirmed Real Madrid’s interest in Reis back in October.

Palmeiras’ message to Real Madrid about Reis was that they could only make a move for him after the FIFA Club World Cup in the summer.

The 19-year-old is one of the several wonderkids produced by the Brazilian giants, with Endrick, Willian Estevao and Luis Guilherme also coming through their academy.

Real Madrid’s concern about Man City-bound Vitor Reis’ defending

Despite just being a teenager, the youngster has already caught several other clubs’ attention.

Reis impressed both Arsenal and Chelsea, with Brighton & Hove Albion also opening talks to sign him. Real Madrid were handed a footballing lesson in their 5-2 defeat to Barcelona; a contest that exposed their defensive frailties.

As Lucas Vasquez, Antonio Rudiger and Aurelien Tchouameni were given the runaround by Hansi Flick’s side, the result was a stark reminder that despite their embarrassment of riches — David Alaba is yet to play after returning from his ACL injury — with Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal ruled out due to the same setback.

Yet, The Athletic has claimed that some insiders at Real Madrid worry about Reis’ ability to defend out wide.

The report further revealed that their stance remains as such despite there being an admission within and beyond the Santiago Bernabeu that Florentino Perez should have made more of an effort to bolster his defence in the summer.

Meanwhile, TBR Football uncovered that Manchester City could offload John Stones due to being concerned about his unreliable fitness record.

Kyle Walker is set to leave Manchester City as well.

As a result, it is understandable why the Premier League champions made Reis a priority signing.

Premier League clubs “gutted” Man City are set to sign Vitor Reis

Journalist David Ornstein revealed Premier League clubs are frustrated about Manchester City inching towards signing the teenage sensation as he is rated highly within closed circles.

Ornstein said: “I've got to point out, he's a name that I hear mentioned by all of the leading Premier League clubs as someone they would like to bring in.”

“And since the news emerged that Manchester City are stealing a march, there has been frustration across the English top-flight and recruitment departments.”

“Some of them are gutted because they wanted him and it looks like they're not going to get him.”

City’s intent to strengthen their backline does not end with Reis’ impending arrival.

Manchester City have agreed to sign Abdukodir Khusanov for £33 million plus add-ons as well.

Whether Pep Guardiola will be concerned about Real Madrid’s concern about Reis remains to be seen.

Guardiola is known to often deploy centre-backs in full-back positions and if tests the highly-rated defender in such a position, how he performs will ultimately indicate his ability to defend out wide.