Savinho's Absence Disrupts Manchester City Ahead of Community Shield

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

With the Community Shield against Arsenal looming at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Savinho was a notable absentee from City’s latest training session. The 22-year-old Brazilian, who has quickly emerged as one of the most intriguing attacking options in Maresca’s squad, sat out due to illness, according to The Athletic’s Sam Lee.

For a manager still shaping his ideas and hierarchy in the final third, it is far from ideal timing.

Savinho out, big names back in

While Savinho watched on from the sidelines, the City Football Academy pitches were hardly short of star power.

Jack Grealish was back in the thick of it, pushing to make what would be his first appearance for City in over a year after a prolonged battle with injuries. His return alone gives Maresca a fresh tactical card to play on the left.

Erling Haaland was involved, as ruthless and central as ever to City’s attacking blueprint. Jeremy Doku, with his direct running and one-on-one threat, trained as he looks to nail down a starting role. January arrival Marc Guehi was also part of the session, continuing his integration as he stakes a claim for a spot in the XI against the Gunners this weekend.

The competition for places is fierce. The question is whether Savinho will be fit enough to join that fight in Cardiff.

Tottenham circling as City sweat

Savinho’s absence comes with an extra layer of intrigue. Not just because of the Community Shield, but because of the noise from north London.

Roberto De Zerbi is closing in on his main attacking target, with Tottenham understood to be nearing a full agreement for the £60 million-rated winger. Spurs have tracked the Brazilian closely, and their interest has hardened as the window ticks down.

Tottenham’s stance is clear: they want one more major attacking piece. And they believe Savinho can be it.

Spurs’ ruthless rebuild

After back-to-back 17th-place finishes in the Premier League, Spurs have ripped up the script this summer.

They started at the back. Martin Dubravka came in to bolster the goalkeeping department. Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, and Jan Paul van Hecke arrived to reshape a defence that had creaked for too long.

Then came the statement in midfield. Tottenham dropped a combined £185 million on Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, a double move that signalled a complete reset in the engine room and underlined the scale of their ambition.

Now the focus is the final third. The message from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is unmistakable: this rebuild will not stop halfway.

Sales to fuel a Savinho bid

To push on for Savinho, Spurs are ready to cash in on some big names.

Cristian Romero is on the verge of a move to Atletico Madrid, a significant departure at the heart of their defence. Full-back Djed Spence is set to secure a switch to Inter, another piece of the puzzle moving on to free up space and funds.

Those exits are designed to create the financial headroom to go hard at City. The challenge? Convincing the Etihad hierarchy to sell a highly rated 22-year-old to a direct domestic rival.

City’s stance is likely to be cautious. Letting Savinho go without a clear replacement lined up would be a sizeable gamble, especially with Maresca still bedding in his ideas and juggling fitness issues ahead of the new campaign.

Gakpo on the radar if City hold firm

If City dig in and a deal for Savinho proves too complex or too costly, Tottenham have already lined up an alternative.

Cody Gakpo is firmly on their list. The Liverpool forward is admired at Hotspur Way for his versatility across the front line and his output in big games. But prising him out of Anfield looks far trickier.

Journalist Ben Jacobs has reported that Liverpool are reluctant to sanction Gakpo’s exit unless they can bring in multiple attacking replacements first. That stance turns any potential move into a late-window saga rather than a straightforward swoop.

One final move before the deadline

As the transfer deadline closes in, Tottenham have one major task left: land the forward who completes De Zerbi’s attacking blueprint.

Savinho remains the priority. Gakpo is the high-end alternative. City, meanwhile, are trying to prepare for Arsenal with a key young winger ill, a returning Grealish desperate to reassert himself, and a transfer battle brewing over one of their brightest assets.

For Maresca, the Community Shield is the immediate concern. For Spurs, the real prize lies beyond Cardiff: walking into the new season with an attack rebuilt, retooled, and ready to drag them away from the bottom end of the table once and for all.