Manchester City’s preparations for the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds have hit an unexpected obstacle. The club has been forced to leave out one of their key January signings from their European squad due to a peculiar UEFA regulation that has limited the number of players they can register.
Despite being one of the club’s most significant acquisitions in the winter transfer window, the player will have to wait for his Champions League debut. Manchester City’s squad is capped at 23 players, a restriction imposed due to the club falling short of UEFA’s requirement for “locally-trained” players. This rule has directly impacted the new recruit, who has been sacrificed in favor of other signings.
According to UEFA’s regulations, clubs must include at least eight locally-trained players—those who have spent three years in an English club’s academy before turning 21—in their Champions League squad. Any shortfall in meeting this quota results in a reduction in the number of players a club can register.
With Josh Wilson-Esbrand’s loan move to Stoke City, Manchester City lost one of their homegrown options, bringing them two players under the quota. As a result, instead of being able to register a full 25-man squad, City was restricted to just 23 players for the knockout rounds.
This forced manager Pep Guardiola and his staff to make tough decisions when submitting their updated squad list to UEFA.
Vitor Reis—The big casualty
It was eventually confirmed that Vitor Reis, the highly-rated Brazilian defender signed from Palmeiras in January, was the player left out. City had the option to register only three of their four new signings, and Reis was the one who missed out.
The 19-year-old was signed for €35 million as part of Manchester City’s long-term plan to strengthen their defense. However, the club prioritized registering Omar Marmoush (forward), Nico Gonzalez (midfielder), and Abdukodir Khusanov (defender) over Reis.
Despite this setback, Manchester City remain committed to their new recruit. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reported that the decision “does not change their long-term plan” for the Brazilian. “The teenager needs time to adapt to European football,” Romano explained, indicating that City will be patient with his development.
City stick with Rodri
Reis was not the only high-profile omission from City’s Champions League squad. Claudio Echeverri, another major January signing from River Plate, was also left out. However, Echeverri’s exclusion was more expected, as he is currently representing Argentina in the South American U-20 Championships.
In contrast, City decided to keep Rodri in their Champions League squad despite the midfielder suffering an ACL injury in September. The decision reflects the club’s hope that he will return to action before the end of the season.
