Tottenham Acquire Brazil Winger Savinho from Manchester City for £75m
Tottenham Hotspur have secured the transfer of Brazilian winger Savinho from Manchester City with an initial fee of £75 million. The 22-year-old has inked a long-term deal at Spurs, with potential add-ons that could raise the total fee by another £10 million.
The move had been under consideration for over a year, after Tottenham's unsuccessful attempt to sign him last summer. At that time, Savinho chose to remain at the Etihad Stadium, though his playing opportunities were limited under Pep Guardiola, making only seven Premier League starts in the last season.
"It’s taken a while but I’m very happy to be here," Savinho said. "It’s a wonderful opportunity at a brilliant club with one of the best managers in the world. As soon as I spoke to the head coach I knew I had to come. He told me he wants to help me reach the highest level, and I believe we can do that together, as a team."
Savinho arrived at City from French club Troyes in 2024 for £30.8 million. Over his time there, he featured in 84 matches, scoring seven goals and assisting 16 times.
His arrival at Spurs coincides with a busy summer for the club, who have also signed Mateus Fernandes from West Ham, Sandro Tonali from Newcastle, and Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton, spending a combined £312 million. Additionally, defenders Marcos Senesi and Andrew Robertson joined on free transfers, along with goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.
Roberto De Zerbi described Savinho as "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."
Meanwhile, City are close to finalizing another deal to send Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush to Tottenham before the September 1 deadline, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.
Savinho’s Style and Recent Performance
Last season saw a decrease in Savinho’s involvement at City, particularly after they signed winger Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth in January. He logged 821 Premier League minutes, scoring once and assisting once, participating in just 31% of City's minutes across all competitions. This was a drop from the previous season when he played 54% of available minutes.
Despite reduced playtime, Savinho’s 2024-25 stats reveal why Tottenham invested heavily in him. He registered eight Premier League assists from open play, ranking fifth overall, with a per-90 open-play assist rate of 0.41, third best behind only Mohamed Salah. His chance creation per 90 minutes stood at 2.2, second only to Salah.
His main threat comes from carrying the ball forward. Among Premier League players with at least 1,000 minutes in 2024-25, only Jeremy Doku averaged more progressive carries of 10 metres or more than Savinho’s 6.8 per 90 minutes. He led the league in carries followed by a chance created, averaging 1.3 per 90, with only Son Heung-min ending carries with assists more frequently.
He completed 2.6 dribbles per 90 minutes with a 51% success rate, often drawing defenders before releasing teammates.
At Girona in La Liga during 2023-24, Savinho had a breakout season, playing 2,989 minutes mostly on the left wing (65%). He scored nine goals and contributed eight assists, gaining a reputation as one of the most dangerous one-on-one players in Spain’s top flight.
With City, his role shifted. Over two Premier League seasons, he spent 36% of his minutes on the right wing, compared to 20% on the left. This adaptability could prove valuable at Tottenham.
- Transfer Fee: £75 million initial + up to £10 million add-ons
- Age: 22 years old
- Previous Club: Manchester City
- Manchester City Appearances: 84
- Goals for City: 7
- Assists for City: 16
- Previous Transfer to City: £30.8 million from Troyes in 2024
- La Liga 2023-24 Stats: 9 goals, 8 assists, 2,989 minutes
- Premier League 2024-25 Open Play Assists: 8
- Dribbles per 90 (2024-25): 2.6 (51% success)
- Progressive Carries per 90 (2024-25): 6.8
