Two Man City teenagers might be competing for one place in Pep Guardiola's squad

Manchester City have two teenage centre-backs out on loan this season and there could be room in the squad for one of them next season.

Juma Bah and Vitor Reis arrived at Manchester City in the same window earlier this year and although both are now playing their football away from the Etihad, they could have an eye on making Pep Guardiola's squad for next season.

The two 19-year-old centre-backs are only three months apart in age, and both are enjoying productive loan spells in a big five league this season. They are the two star names of a cohort of young defenders looking to make an impression at City.

Bah joined from Real Vallodolid for £5.2millon after a meteoric rise, playing just 13 games for the La Liga outfit in the first half of last season before City swooped for the Sierra Leone international.

He is yet to get a chance at his parent club, spending the second half of last season on loan at Lens before moving to Nice this summer. Bah also had interest from Lyon, as well as clubs in England, which shows the potential that many clubs in Europe believe he has.

He played the full game in both legs of Nice's Champions League third qualifying round defeat to Benfica and has done the same in their first two Europa League outings against Roma and Fenerbahce. He has also played five times in Ligue 1, although he has missed the last two domestic fixtures.

Reis did get a taste of life at City after his £29.6millon move from Palmeiras. He has made four appearances for the club and played the full game against Wydad AC at the start of the Club World Cup in June.

Given the competition at centre-back and the size of Guardiola's squad, there wasn't room to keep the young Brazilian around this season, and he was sent on loan to City Football Group club Girona.

In Spain, Reis has played seven of Girona's eight games, missing the fixture with Athletic Club after he was sent off in a 4-0 defeat at home to Levante. Girona have had a tough start to the season, and their 2-1 win against Valencia before the international break was their first of the campaign.

Back in Manchester, Guardiola's defensive options could be changing by the end of this season. Manuel Akanji is on loan at Inter Milan but likely to complete a permanent exit next summer, while Nathan Ake is also expected to move on, either in January or at the end of the season.

Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol are first-choice at the moment, with John Stones as an excellent back-up, although the England international is out of contract next summer. Abdukodir Khusanov is also an option there, but has mostly played at right-back this season.

If Akanji and Ake go, and Khusanov continues to deputise at right-back, there will likely be space for another centre-back in the squad next season. Bah and Reis might have their eye on it.

The former has the benefit of European football this season, adding to his experience, but Reis has played first-team football for City. The Blues will also have more detail on his performances for Girona as a result of the CFG links.

For now, all either can do is keep their place in the team at Nice and Girona, and keep on impressing, with the hope of a return to the Etihad next season.

---

Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester City coverage and analysis.

Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.

You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.

And finally, if you’d rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Talking City podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.