Tottenham are in talks with Manchester City over a move to sign Brazil winger Savinho. Discussions have been held between the two clubs in recent days over a possible deal for the 21-year-old.
Negotiations at an early stage
Negotiations are at an early stage and it remains to be seen whether City will sanction a move for the Brazil international. Sources have told BBC Sport that City are not looking to sell Savinho and that it would take offers of more than £50m for the club to consider doing so.
Should City obtain a fee in that region, the club would make a substantial profit on a player they signed from French club Troyes for £30.8m just a year ago.
Savinho’s role at City and Tottenham’s need
Savinho was a regular under Pep Guardiola last season, scoring three times in 48 appearances across all competitions. However, City signed France winger Rayan Cherki from Lyon in a £30m deal this summer, which could limit Savinho’s opportunities at the Etihad.
Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank is keen to bolster his attacking options after Son Heung-min was sold to Major League Soccer side LAFC last week. Mohammed Kudus arrived in a £55m deal from West Ham earlier this summer, while the club failed to secure a £60m deal for Nottingham Forest playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White.
Spurs’ need for attacking reinforcements has been heightened since midfielder James Maddison was ruled out for the majority of the upcoming season with a knee injury. The England international sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear during a pre-season friendly draw against Newcastle United in Seoul, South Korea, earlier this month.
Savinho’s potential at Spurs
After scoring nine league goals as Girona finished third in La Liga in the 2023-24 season, Savinho managed just one in his debut Premier League campaign. That wasn’t for the want of trying – only Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne had more attempts on goal for City. But a lack of ruthlessness resulted in the Brazilian underperforming his expected goals total by four, the worst figure of any Premier League player last term.
However, the 21-year-old did offer plenty of creativity, registering eight top-flight assists, more than any of his team-mates. His tally of 46 chances created was the club’s third highest, while he also showcased his ability to run at opposition defenders, attempting 102 dribbles – second only to Jeremy Doku among City players.
Savinho’s fit at Tottenham
Tottenham are well stocked in wide areas despite the departure of Son Heung-min, with four players – Mohammed Kudus, Wilson Odobert, Mathys Tel, and Brennan Johnson – likely to compete for two starting spots in Thomas Frank’s 4-2-3-1 formation.
But they are short of attacking midfielders – Maddison will take a long time to recover from his ACL injury, while Dejan Kulusevski is recovering from a long-term patella issue.
Savinho, who is left-footed, made two-thirds of his league appearances for City on the right, while he predominantly played for Girona on the left. While there seems little prospect of him being deployed centrally by Spurs, his arrival could free up Mohammed Kudus to play there. Kudus, who has impressed in pre-season, was occasionally used as a number 10 by West Ham and also has experience in that role for Ajax and Ghana.
