Savinho leaves City for Tottenham
Manchester City has agreed to sell Brazil winger Savinho to Tottenham Hotspur for a club-record £85 million ($115 million). The deal was confirmed by an anonymous source to the Associated Press on Friday. City’s coach Enzo Maresca said the winger had expressed a desire to leave “since day one”.
Savinho joined City in 2024 for €40 million ($43.6 million) from sister club Troyes after a successful loan at Girona. In 53 Premier League appearances he scored two goals, but his final-ball decisions and overall impact were widely criticised. He was not selected for Brazil’s World Cup squad.
City reshapes squad
The sale comes after City’s recent departures of Spain captain Rodri to Barcelona for €76.5 million ($88.5 million) and the exit of midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, defender Nathan Ake and the release of John Stones and Bernardo Silva. The only senior outfield signing this off-season was England midfielder Elliot Anderson, who joined for a club-record £116 million ($155 million). City’s sporting director Hugo Viana and coach Maresca are expected to be busy in the final week of the summer window as they rebuild the squad for a new era.
Maresca hinted that backup striker Omar Marmoush could be the next player to leave, with Tottenham a possible destination, but the Egyptian international has not requested a transfer. City’s recent 3-0 Community Shield loss to Arsenal and the opening Premier League game against Bournemouth, where Jeremy Doku will miss due to a calf injury, underscore the urgency of the reshuffle.
Tottenham’s new spending spree
Tottenham’s purchase of Savinho will add to a string of high-profile signings. The club recently signed Italy midfielder Sandro Tonali from Newcastle for a reported club-record £100 million ($133 million) and Mateus Fernandes from West Ham for £85 million ($113 million). They have also brought in centre-backs Jan Paul van Hecke and Marco Senesi, and former Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson.
With two straight 17th-place finishes, Tottenham’s leadership is under pressure. Chairman Peter Charrington wrote an open letter after last season stating that “football success had not been driving our decisions.” The new signings, including Savinho, could position Tottenham as the second-biggest spender in Europe this off-season, behind Chelsea.
The transfer marks a significant shift for City, which has sold more players than it has signed in the past year. It also signals Tottenham’s willingness to invest heavily in talent that can compete with the Premier League’s elite clubs.
