A Record Sale and a New Identity
Tottenham have completed the signing of Brazilian winger Savio from Manchester City for a fee reported at £85m, which includes £75m plus £10m in add-ons. The transfer represents a record sale for Manchester City and a milestone for the City Football Group (CFG), the ownership network that controls clubs across the globe.
While the move has been widely reported, the player's arrival in north London came with an unexpected twist: he will be known as 'Savio' rather than 'Savinho', the name he used during his two years at Manchester City. Tottenham announced the signing with the player sporting 'Savio' on his new No.17 shirt, and neither the club nor the player have given a reason for the switch.
His full name is Savio Moreira de Oliveira, and 'Savinho' is the Portuguese diminutive, translating to 'little Savio'. During his time at Troyes and Girona, he wore 'Savio' on his shirt, changing to 'Savinho' when he joined City in 2024. Speaking to the club website when he signed, he said he hoped "the Savinho name brings me some good luck".
The CFG Pathway
Savinho's journey to the Premier League began in 2022, when CFG-owned French club Troyes signed him from Atletico Mineiro for a club record £10.7m. He left two years later having never played for Troyes, instead being loaned to Dutch side PSV for the 2022-23 season and then to fellow CFG-owned Girona for 2023-24.
It was at Girona where he built his reputation, featuring in 37 league matches and registering nine goals and eight assists as the club secured Champions League qualification for the first time in their history. His performances earned him a place in the La Liga team of the year, and City moved quickly to bring him to Manchester, paying Troyes £30.8m in 2024.
That fee raised questions at the time over whether it represented fair market value, given Savinho's limited top-flight experience. The scrutiny has lingered, but for CFG the sale to Tottenham has been a huge win. The profit on Savinho is almost £70m if all the bonuses linked to the move are met.
Brian Marwood, CFG's managing director of global football, described the transfer as "a success story for the group", while Quique Carcel, director of football at Girona, told BBC Sport that Girona's intention after reaching the Champions League "was to try to get him to stay for another year".
Sporting and Financial Returns
Savinho's time at Manchester City was mixed on the pitch. In his first season under Pep Guardiola, he made 48 appearances and contributed 16 goals in all competitions, including eight Premier League assists — the highest at the club. However, across two seasons, his overall output was modest: he scored just two Premier League goals and contributed 12 assists, with one Champions League goal against Club Brugge.
The Daily Star, which reported the transfer with a sarcastic tone, noted that he scored just seven goals in total for City, fewer than the eight bookings he received. The same report pointed out that he started just over half of the 84 games he played for the club.
Speaking on his move to north London, Savio said: "It's taken a while, but I'm very happy to be here. It's a wonderful opportunity at a brilliant club with one of the best managers in the world."
The Bigger Picture
The sale of Savinho is part of a broader trend at Manchester City, where selling young players has become big business. Over the past five years, the club has recouped more than £250m from selling academy products. Notable examples include Morgan Rogers, sold to Middlesbrough in February 2024 for an initial £8m and later bought by Chelsea for £117m, and Cole Palmer, sold for £40m in 2023.
CFG, which has links to 12 clubs worldwide, is already looking to the next generation. The BBC reports high hopes for Ryan McAidoo, an 18-year-old at City who has made his senior debut, and for Japan's Shin Miidera, a 16-year-old attacker playing for partner club Yokohama F. Marinos, who is being monitored closely. American midfielder Cavan Sullivan, 16, plays for MLS club Philadelphia Union and will join Manchester City when he turns 18, while Vitor Reiss, who spent last season on loan to Girona from City, is tipped to make the grade.
As Savinho — or Savio — begins his Tottenham career, the deal stands as a testament to the multi-club model that CFG has perfected, even as questions about player valuations and the pathway for young talent continue to linger.