Tottenham Hotspur could still offer Manchester City winger Savinho the shirt number he wears at the Etihad if a late deadline-day move materialises. The 21-year-old Brazilian has been linked with a £65m switch to north London, but has not featured in the new Premier League campaign owing to a pre-season injury.
The No. 7 shirt, briefly worn by Savinho during his time with PSV Eindhoven's Under-21 side, was available at Tottenham a fortnight ago. However, Xavi Simons, who completed a £51m move to the club and was unveiled last week, has since claimed it. Savinho would instead be able to take the No. 26 jersey he currently sports at Manchester City.
Reports indicate that Savinho was interested in the move and that initial talks between the clubs were promising. However, any transfer was believed to hinge on City signing Real Madrid's Rodrygo, who has reportedly fallen out of favour with Xabi Alonso at the Bernabeu. With no such deal in the offing, ESPN has reported that City have told Tottenham that Savinho is not for sale.
City's position may have been strengthened by an injury to summer signing Rayan Cherki. Pep Guardiola confirmed that the Frenchman is set to miss around two months with a torn left quadricep sustained in the 2-1 defeat at Brighton. When asked if that setback could prompt late business, Guardiola replied: "No."
Tottenham, in contrast, are yet to find consistency after a limp 1-0 home loss to Bournemouth. Despite dominating possession, Spurs were fortunate to lose by a single goal, as the Cherries registered 20 efforts on goal and were only denied by an impressive display from goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.
