Tottenham Hotspur have completed the signing of Brazilian winger Savinho from Manchester City in a deal that could reach £85m, a move that has left many observers puzzled but has delighted senior figures at the Etihad.
Manchester City are said to be thrilled with the sale, having secured more than £50m profit on a player who made little impact during his two seasons in Manchester. Savinho joined City from Troyes in 2024 for £30.8m but made just 28 league appearances, with only seven of those coming last season.
Guardiola's quick verdict
Pep Guardiola reportedly realised within half a season that signing Savinho was a mistake. The Brazilian's lack of commitment, as much as his lack of goals and impression, made the original fee look extortionate. Guardiola and his coaching staff had little time for Savinho's work rate and his reluctance to get physical when needed.
Despite this, one man at the highest level of football sees something in Savinho that others cannot: Carlos Raphael Moersen, known as 'Rafi' to friends and colleagues. Moersen oversaw Savinho's transfer to City while working as a City Football Group executive, spending almost a decade across CFG clubs and overseeing football transactions within the organisation.
Moersen's Tottenham influence
In December 2025, Moersen was lured to Tottenham as the club's new director of football operations, arriving in north London with big ideas. One of those ideas was for Spurs to sign Savinho, which they have now done.
Signing someone who looks out of his depth in the Premier League once is clumsy, but doing the same thing twice is downright foolish. Undeterred, Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi believes he has landed a game-changing star.
"Savio is a player who brings energy, imagination and quality in wide positions. He has the courage to attack defenders and the ability to change a game with his creativity," De Zerbi said.
Fans brace for disappointment
Spurs' fascination with Savinho is as remarkable as it is hard to fathom. If Guardiola did not rate him, then why would an Italian whose greatest managerial achievement to date is winning the Ukrainian Super Cup?
Spurs supporters should be bracing themselves to witness a footballer who flatters to deceive, thus personifying what his new club have been all about in recent times.
