-
Tottenham have signed Brazil winger Savinho from Manchester City in a deal worth an initial £75m, with add-ons that could push the fee to £85m
-
The 22-year-old has signed a long-term contract at Spurs after a move that had been in the works for more than a year
-
Savinho struggled for minutes at City last season, making just seven Premier League starts under Pep Guardiola
-
Tottenham have now spent roughly £312m on new arrivals this summer, with Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush also close to joining before the deadline
August 25, (THEWILL) — Tottenham have finally got their man. The club confirmed on Tuesday that Brazil international Savinho has completed a £75m move from Manchester City, ending a transfer saga that stretched back well over a year.
Spurs first tried to sign the winger last summer but came away empty-handed, watching him stay put at the Etihad instead. That decision didn’t pay off the way many expected.
Savinho found himself increasingly on the fringes under Pep Guardiola, particularly after City brought in Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth in January, and he ended the season with just seven Premier League starts to show for it.
Now he gets a fresh start under Roberto De Zerbi, on a long-term deal that could rise to £85m with add-ons.
“It’s taken a while but I’m very happy to be here”, Savinho said after putting pen to paper. He credited conversations with De Zerbi for sealing his decision, saying he trusts the Italian to help him “reach the highest level”.
De Zerbi, for his part, made no secret of what he sees in his new winger, praising his energy and his willingness to run at defenders.
The numbers back that up. Even in a season where his role shrank dramatically — he played just 31% of City’s available minutes across all competitions, down from 54% the year before — Savinho’s underlying output stayed elite when he did get on the pitch. In 2024-25, he racked up eight Premier League assists purely from open play in only 1,773 minutes, a tally bettered by just four players in the entire division. His rate of 2.2 chances created per 90 minutes trailed only Mohamed Salah.
READ ALSO:
Carrying the ball forward is where he really separates himself. Among players who logged at least 1,000 Premier League minutes that season, only Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku averaged more progressive carries than Savinho’s 6.8 per 90. He also topped the league for carries that directly led to a chance, and only Son Heung-min converted more of his own carries into assists.
That kind of one-on-one threat isn’t new. It’s what first put him on the radar during a standout campaign at Girona in 2023-24, when he played the bulk of his minutes on the left flank and finished with nine goals and eight assists in La Liga.
At City, his role shifted more toward the right side of the pitch, giving him a versatility Spurs will likely look to use both ways.
Savinho arrives as the latest piece in what has already been an aggressive summer of spending in north London.
Tottenham have also brought in Mateus Fernandes from West Ham, Sandro Tonali from Newcastle and Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton, spending a combined £312m on that trio alone. Defenders Marcos Senesi and Andrew Robertson joined on free transfers, and goalkeeper Martin Dubravka was also added to the squad.
The business between the two clubs may not be finished, either. City remain in advanced discussions over selling Egypt forward Omar Marmoush to Spurs, with sources close to the talks suggesting there’s a strong chance that the deal is completed before the transfer window shuts on September 1.
Olumide Atiba is a sports journalist with THEWILL, known for his keen news sense and compelling storytelling. He has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, well-structured reports that resonate with readers, with a strong focus on football coverage
