For the second successive summer, Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly pursuing Manchester City winger Savinho. The north London club expressed interest last year and, following three managerial changes, are again targeting the Brazilian.
Savinho's Openness to Move
The 22-year-old player hinted at a potential move last season through social media posts and is understood to be open to a switch to the capital this time around. City rebuffed offers 12 months ago and subsequently handed Savinho a two-year contract extension, keeping him at the Etihad until 2031.
City's Director of Football Praised Savinho
When the contract extension was announced, City's Director of Football Hugo Viana praised the winger's potential. "Savinho is still very young, but he has already demonstrated that he possesses the qualities needed to become a truly outstanding player," Viana said. "He has so many excellent attributes. His potential really is limitless. He has superb natural ability, works incredibly hard day in, day out, and he is humble. He is very eager to keep learning and help the team, and his ambition is to be one of the best attacking players in the game. I have no doubt that by continuing to work with Pep and his coaching team, Savinho will go on to be a key part of our squad for many years to come."
Limited Playing Time Under Guardiola
Pep Guardiola had faith in Savinho and was keen to retain him a year ago. However, the winger struggled to make a consistent impact and was mostly limited to substitute appearances. After praising Savinho following a home win over Sunderland in early December, Guardiola said he would "play a lot of minutes." But from that point, Savinho managed fewer than 400 minutes in the Premier League, with 90 of those coming in the final game when City rotated heavily. He made only three starts, played 90 minutes just twice, and was 18th in the list of most top-flight minutes played by City players across the campaign.
Increased Competition for Places
Jeremy Doku's rapid improvement, Antoine Semenyo's arrival, and Rayan Cherki's stellar season all limited Savinho's opportunities. Guardiola's faith in the former Troyes man appeared to wane as the campaign progressed and trophies came into view.
Potential Departure Under New Manager
Enzo Maresca will replace Guardiola in the dugout, but that may not be enough to save a player who has had two years to showcase improvement without fully delivering. If a deal is completed, City will make a profit on the £30 million they spent on the player in 2024. A fee in the region of £50 million seems substantial for a player whose greatest attribute, as Viana alluded to, is his potential. But potential alone is not enough, and £50 million is surely a significant sum.
