Manchester City have reportedly agreed mark Palmeiras' highly-rated centre-back Vitor Reis in a £29.4m deal.
The Brazilian defender is only 19 years old and made his debut in the top league only in June. However, Reis scored on his first league start for Palmeiras and has rarely moved from the starting line-up over the following six months.
Reis had before attracted interest from Real Madrid, but City have acted decisively in what has already proved to be a tense January transfer window. Fabrizio Romano has reported that the Premier League champions have reached a verbal agreement with Palmeiras and the player in question ahead of a move to bring Reis to Manchester immediately.
of Daily Mail's Jack Gaughan reported that the fee was £29.4m, just short of the initial asking price of €40m (£33.6m).
The city are already closing on arrival and another talented young defender in the form of Lens centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov. The 20-year-old has reportedly agreed a £33.6million move as Pep Guardiola desperately tries to strengthen his injury-hit squad.
Experienced full-back Kyle Walker could be on his way out of the Etihad this month, with a deal to take the Englishman to AC Milan. “practically done”.
Guardiola's side isn't limited to defensive recruits. The defending champions of the top league have been strongly associated with a movement for the striker of Eintracht Frankfurt, Omar Marmoush. While Reis and Khusanov are expected to join for relatively modest fees, Frankfurt are thought to be seeking up to €80m (£67.4m) for their talismanic striker.