Savinho Misses Training as Tottenham Nears £70m Deal
Savinho was missing from Manchester City’s open training session on Thursday. On the surface, the club put it down to illness. Beneath that, the transfer story that has followed him for more than a year is reaching its sharp end.
Tottenham Hotspur have chased the Brazil international for over 12 months. They missed out last summer. This time, they are intent on getting the deal done.
Roberto De Zerbi has signed off the move. The new Spurs manager wants at least two attackers through the door before the 1 September deadline, and Savinho is firmly on that list. Not just a recruitment department idea – a manager’s pick.
The 22-year-old’s absence from training arrived just as Fabrizio Romano delivered his latest update. Posting on X, Romano stated that Savinho has again told City this week that he wants to leave and join Tottenham. The message from the player is clear: he sees his future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Romano has repeatedly described there being a “very good chance” of the winger ending up in north London. The caveat has always been the same: City want a replacement lined up before they let him go. It mirrors their stance on another Spurs target, Cody Gakpo at Liverpool. One in, one out – or nothing moves.
Even so, optimism around Tottenham is growing. A well-placed Spurs source on X in the last 24 hours claimed the move is expected to reach a positive conclusion within the next week. The fee being discussed is around £70m.
Big backing for De Zerbi – but at a big price
Tottenham’s hierarchy have already shown they are prepared to spend heavily to fuel De Zerbi’s rebuild after back-to-back 17th-place finishes in the Premier League. They smashed through the market to land Mateus Fernandes from West Ham United and Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United for a combined £185m, outmuscling rivals and resetting expectations.
Savinho, though, sits in a different bracket of debate.
City signed him from Girona for £30m two years ago. Since then he has made 84 appearances for the eight-time Premier League champions. That is a decent body of work at an elite club, but his numbers are not spectacular and he never nailed down a guaranteed starting role under Pep Guardiola. New boss Enzo Maresca appears prepared to cash in.
So Tottenham are preparing to more than double City’s original outlay. £70m for a winger who has flashed potential rather than dominated seasons. In today’s market, that kind of fee still demands a player who can transform a team’s attack.
Savinho clearly has pedigree – you do not survive at City without serious talent – yet he still has to prove he belongs in that price bracket. Spurs would be buying the upside, not the finished article.
The argument in his favour is obvious. At Tottenham he would finally get regular football under a manager who clearly believes in him. De Zerbi’s attacking structure, his faith in technical wide players, could unlock a level Savinho has not yet shown consistently in England.
Right now, though, the numbers are what they are. On paper, Tottenham look ready to overpay for a player they have simply decided they must have.
If the deal lands as expected, the question will move from the balance sheet to the pitch: can Savinho turn a £70m gamble into the statement signing that drags Spurs back up the table?
