Enzo Maresca's Plans for Silverware Hit Snag Ahead of Community Shield

Enzo Maresca’s plans for his first piece of silverware as Manchester City boss have hit an untimely snag.

On the eve of the Community Shield showdown with Arsenal at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Savinho was a notable absentee from City’s latest training session, sitting out due to illness according to The Athletic’s Sam Lee. With the 22-year-old having quickly emerged as one of the most exciting wide options in the squad, his potential absence is an unwelcome twist before the season’s curtain-raiser.

While the Brazilian stayed inside, the rest of City’s attacking armoury went through their paces at the City Football Academy. Jack Grealish was back in the thick of it, pushing to make what would be his first appearance for the club in over a year after an extended battle with injury. Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and January signing Marc Guehi were also involved, each staking a claim for a starting berth against Mikel Arteta’s side this weekend.

The timing around Savinho is striking. His illness comes just as interest from north London reaches boiling point. Roberto De Zerbi is closing in on his primary attacking target, with Tottenham understood to be nearing a full agreement for the £60 million-rated winger.

Tottenham’s intent this summer has been impossible to ignore. After back-to-back 17th-place finishes in the Premier League, the club has ripped up the script and gone for a full-scale rebuild to drag itself back toward the top end of the table. The early weeks of the window were devoted to shoring up the defence: Martin Dubravka, Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke have all arrived to reshape the back line.

Then came the statement in midfield. Spurs committed a combined £185 million to bring in Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, a double move that underlined just how serious the hierarchy at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium are about resetting the club’s trajectory. With the spine reinforced, attention has now swung firmly to the final third.

To keep that recruitment drive moving, Tottenham are preparing to cash in on some major assets. Cristian Romero is close to sealing a move to Atletico Madrid, while full-back Djed Spence is set for a switch to Inter. Those exits are expected to open up the financial space required to go hard for Savinho and truly test City’s resolve.

That, though, is where the complication lies. City’s hierarchy are unlikely to roll over for a direct domestic rival, especially without a clear replacement lined up. Maresca has already seen key figures depart in recent windows; losing another dynamic attacker without a succession plan would be a bold gamble so close to the start of the campaign.

So Tottenham have lined up alternatives. High on that list is Cody Gakpo. The Liverpool forward is admired at Hotspur Way as another elite option who can play across the frontline. But prising him away from Anfield looks a far trickier operation. Journalist Ben Jacobs has reported that Liverpool are reluctant to sanction a sale unless they can bring in multiple attacking reinforcements first, a stance that pushes any potential deal into complex territory.

The clock is ticking on the window, and Tottenham have one final piece to fit into their overhaul. Whether De Zerbi gets his man in Savinho or is forced to pivot toward Gakpo or another target, Spurs look determined to walk away from this summer with their attacking rebuild complete — and with it, a very different ceiling for the season ahead.