Rival fans used to mock Palmeiras’ academy, singing that they had never won the Copa Sao Paulo, Brazil’s premier youth competition.
Those times are long gone.
Not only have Palmeiras won the ‘Copinha’, as the tournament is affectionately known, twice (2022 and 2023), but they have also established themselves as the hottest talent factory in Brazilian football.
Over the past few years, the Sao Paulo-based giants have produced and sold stars such as Chelsea-bound Estevao Willian (£29m), Real Madrid’s Endrick (£28.5m), West Ham’s Luiz Guilherme (£25.5m), Nottingham Forest’s Danilo (£16m), and Shakhtar Donetsk’s Kevin (£8m, all fees including add-ons).
They have all helped Palmeiras cement their status as the most successful Brazilian team of the past decade while generating massive revenue.
And the next one to come out of their prolific factory is Vitor Reis, who has signed for Manchester City in a £29.6m deal.
Palmeiras had hoped for the 19-year-old to stay until this summer’s Club World Cup, but City insisted on bringing him in immediately.
City’s incoming director of football, Hugo Viana, played a key role in this deal, making a call to Palmeiras coach Abel Ferreira, who is also Portuguese and a great friend of his, to find out more about Reis.
Despite making only 22 appearances for Palmeiras since his senior debut in June, he is ready for the Premier League, City believe.
It comes as no surprise to the Brazilians.
He’s been described within the club as an “ET” – players they consider to be out of this world and way better than the others.
“Last year, the players from the ‘Copinha’ who broke into the first team were Estevao and Vitor Reis. But don’t ask me for those ETs again this season, all right? Now we get the normal ones,” Palmeiras’ head of academy Joao Paulo Sampaio joked when asked earlier this month about the next ones in line.
Such is Reis’ composure on the pitch that a pundit from the local network SporTV said this week that he seems to have “60 years of experience in football”.
“I believe he will have no trouble adapting to the City system because here in the youth teams he was always exposed to playing under risk, having to be involved in the build-up play while also defending efficiently, even in one-on-one situations,” Palmeiras’ under-20 coach Lucas Andrade told BBC Sport.
“City work with small squads, so he could gain minutes and be very useful in the season right from the start due to all the maturity and readiness he has to play.”
