Tottenham Acquire Brazil Winger Savinho from Manchester City for £75m
Tottenham Hotspur have completed the signing of Brazilian winger Savinho from Manchester City for an initial fee of £75 million. The 22-year-old attacker has agreed to a long-term contract, with potential add-ons that could raise the total transfer fee by an additional £10 million.
The move has been in discussion for over a year, after Spurs' unsuccessful attempt to sign Savinho last summer. The player chose to stay at the Etihad Stadium initially but saw limited opportunities under manager Pep Guardiola, starting just seven Premier League matches last season.
"It has taken some time, but I’m really happy to be here," Savinho said. "This is a fantastic chance at a great club with one of the best managers worldwide. When I spoke with the head coach, I knew I had to join. He told me he wants to help me reach my highest potential, and I believe we can achieve that together as a team."
Savinho arrived at City from French club Troyes in 2024 for £30.8 million. Over his time at City, he made 84 appearances, scored seven goals, and provided 16 assists.
Summer Additions Boost Spurs
Joining Savinho this summer are Mateus Fernandes from West Ham, Sandro Tonali from Newcastle, and Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton, with combined fees totaling £312 million. Tottenham have also strengthened their defense with free transfers Marcos Senesi and Andrew Robertson, along with goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.
Roberto de Zerbi described Savinho as "a player who brings energy, creativity, and quality on the wings. He is brave in attacking defenders and can change the course of a game with his inventive play."
Manchester City are reportedly close to finalizing another deal with Spurs for Egypt forward Omar Marmoush, potentially before the September 1 transfer deadline.
Savinho’s Impact and Style
Last season, Savinho's playing time at City declined sharply following the January arrival of winger Antoine Semenyo. He logged 821 Premier League minutes, scoring once and assisting once, representing only 31% of City's available minutes across all competitions. This was a drop from 54% in the previous campaign.
Despite fewer minutes, his 2024-25 statistics highlight why Tottenham invested so heavily. He recorded eight Premier League assists, all from open play, while playing 1,773 minutes—only five players created more open-play assists that season. On a per-90-minute basis, he ranked third with 0.41 open-play assists, trailing only Mohamed Salah in chances created per 90 (2.2).
Savinho’s main strength lies in carrying the ball forward. Among players with at least 1,000 minutes in 2024-25, only Jeremy Doku averaged more progressive carries of 10 meters or more, with Savinho averaging 6.8 per 90. He led the league in carries followed by creating a chance, with 1.3 per 90. Only Son Heung-min converted carries into assists more frequently.
He attempted 2.6 dribbles per 90 with a success rate of 51%, often drawing defenders before setting up teammates.
His breakout season came at Girona during 2023-24 in La Liga, where he played 2,989 minutes, mostly on the left wing (65%). He scored nine goals, assisted eight times, and became known as one of the league’s most dangerous one-on-one attackers.
At Manchester City, his role shifted primarily to the right wing, accounting for 36% of his minutes compared to 20% on the left. This adaptability could prove valuable for Tottenham.
- Transfer Fee: £75 million initial + £10 million potential add-ons
- Age: 22
- Previous Club: Manchester City
- Appearances for City: 84
- Goals for City: 7
- Assists for City: 16
- Premier League Minutes 2024-25: 1,773
- Premier League Assists 2024-25: 8 (all open play)
- Dribbles per 90: 2.6 (51% success)
- Progressive Carries per 90: 6.8
