One of the more interesting pieces of the preseason friendlies is watching how the young players perform and if they seem destined for a role in the Manchester City squad. Ryan McAidoo put his best foot forward as the winger put in a dazzling performance in the second half of City's 1-1 draw with Inter Milan . McAidoo has rightly received plaudits for his display against Inter. Another young player who quietly put in a promising display was young centre-back Vitor Reis . In the 45 minutes that Reis was on the pitch the Brazilian defender showed that he is more than ready for a role in Enzo Maresca's squad for next season.
At halftime of Manchester City's friendly against Inter Milan, Enzo Maresca made five substitutions. Two players who came on were Max Alleyne and Vitor Reis. This saw a shuffle of Manchester City's defence with Abdukodir Khusanov moving to right-back. Rayan Ait-Nouri nominally slotted in at left-back. Manchester City proceeded to dominate the second half. It was in this domination where you could see how Vitor Reis would fit in at Manchester City.
Manchester City pinned Inter Milan deep in their own half for the majority of the second half. Vitor Reis was very good in possession. The young centre-back looked right at home in Enzo Maresca's system. Reis completed 44/46 passes and played a role in City's possession dominance. Also, Reis made 9 passes into the final third as he showed that there is more to Reis' game than simply helping his team maintain possession. Also, on occasions, Vitor Reis drifted into midfield as a number six and he looked right at home. Vitor Reis is a seriously talented and adaptable player and he put his best foot forward in possession against Inter Milan.
Defensively, Vitor Reis showed how well he can do in Enzo Maresca's system. He won all of his aerial duels which was pleasing to see. With Manchester City's defensive line positioned well inside their own half for the majority of the second half, Vitor Reis, Max Alleyne and Abdukodir Khusanov were crucial to quickly snuffing out any threat Inter Milan attempted to pose on the counter. Reis made one crucial intervention in the games latter stages that showed how well he reads the game and times a challenge under intense pressure. Overall, everything that Vitor Reis showed against Inter was a clear clue that he is ready for a role in Enzo Maresca's squad.
Vitor Reis spent the 2025-26 season on loan with Girona learning how to play in Europe ahead of a potential role in the Manchester City squad. He is now back at City. It was hoped that Reis would even himself a role in Enzo Maresca's squad for next season. Based on what Vitor Reis showed against Inter, the Brazilian defender is ready for a role in the City squad. It may be a role that sees play in a different manner than simply playing at centre-back as was initially expected.
