Oscar Wilde once wrote: "Losing one winger a week before the season may be misfortune; losing two looks like carelessness." Manchester City find themselves in a similar scenario: Jack Grealish’s protracted departure was confirmed on Tuesday, with the winger set to join Everton on a season-long loan, bringing an end to his time at the Etihad.
Just five days before City’s Premier League opener against Wolves, another winger’s future is in doubt — 21-year-old Brazilian prospect Savinho has emerged as a target for Tottenham, and the player is open to a move to north London. What’s behind this?
Tottenham’s initial bid of £43.25 million was rejected, with City holding out for £50 million. A deal at that price would net City a nearly £20 million profit on a player they signed from Troyes for £30.8 million last summer. Savinho impressed on loan at Girona and, upon his return, made 48 appearances (3,087 minutes) for City last season, contributing 3 goals and 11 assists — 6 of which set up Erling Haaland.
Statistically, his performances hold merit: last season, he won possession in the final third 27 times (second only to Bernardo Silva), with 161 successful dribbles and 172 progressive carries (trailing only Jeremy Doku). With ample game time, lack of opportunities isn’t the issue. Instead, City’s attacking overload is — Guardiola has a wealth of options to support Haaland (Doku, Phil Foden, Rayan Cherki, etc.), and his preference for full-backs to provide width next season further limits wingers’ roles.
Crucially, Guardiola adheres to a policy: if a player wants to leave and a reasonable bid comes in, they’re allowed to go. Savinho’s desire to depart mirrors cases like Ferran Torres and Julián Álvarez — even admired by the manager, they weren’t retained against their will. Additionally, City need to trim their squad to comply with UEFA’s rule limiting non-homegrown players to 17 in their 25-man Champions League squad. Links to Rodrygo and Xavi Simons also hint at potential reshaping.
These factors make Tottenham’s bid plausible. For a City side aiming to defend their treble, selling Savinho now, though surprising, aligns with their squad planning.
