Transfer News Live: Palace £50m Bowen Bid and Tottenham Moves
- Tottenham Hotspur has agreed to a huge fee with Manchester City for the transfer of Brazilian winger Savinho.
- Savinho's raw numbers at Manchester City initially make the club's heavy investment look curious.
- The hefty valuation stems from Savinho's standout performances during a 2023-24 loan spell with Girona, where he established himself as one of La Liga's most dangerous ball carriers.
Tottenham Hotspur has agreed to a huge fee with Manchester City for the transfer of Brazilian winger Savinho. The investment arrives as De Zerbi targets specific wide-area qualities to bolster his squad’s attacking options for upcoming fixtures.
Assessing Savinho’s Output and Valuation at Manchester City
Savinho’s raw numbers at Manchester City initially make the club’s heavy investment look curious. The 22-year-old winger has made 84 appearances across all competitions for City, scoring seven goals and providing 13 assists since joining from sister club Troyes in 2024 for a reported £30.8m fee. Within the Premier League specifically, he has netted just twice over two seasons at the Etihad Stadium. Last October, he signed a contract extension keeping him tied to City until 2031, yet intense competition for attacking places limited his opportunities in central roles alongside players like Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki.
Breakout Statistics From the Girona Loan Spell
The hefty valuation stems from Savinho’s standout performances during a 2023-24 loan spell with Girona, where he established himself as one of La Liga’s most dangerous ball carriers. During that campaign, he featured in 37 league matches to help Girona secure Champions League qualification for the first time, registering nine goals and eight assists.
- Successful take-ons: 104 (leading La Liga)
- Progressive carries: 181 (leading La Liga)
- Goal-creating actions: 25 (leading La Liga)
- Expected assists: 9.9 (leading La Liga)
Furthermore, he ranked second across the Spanish top flight for passes into the penalty area and total progressive carrying distance. Most of that damage came from the left flank, where Girona deployed him in 27 matches for five goals and six assists, though he also operated centrally and from the right side.
Tactical Fit Under De Zerbi at Tottenham
That positional versatility and direct style match the tactical approach favored by De Zerbi, whose teams routinely draw opponents forward in possession to exploit open space. Savinho’s acceleration and willingness to run directly at defenders fit those transitional moments. Operating from the left, he can hold width and attack the outside, whereas moving inside from the right allows him to cut onto his stronger left foot to combine with teammates. His primary value lies in carrying the ball over distance to disrupt defensive shapes, offering Tottenham a direct mechanism to break down compact blocks and feed central forwards.