Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly initiated negotiations with Manchester City over a potential move for winger Savinho.
While City are reportedly reluctant to sell, they may consider a deal if Spurs meet their £50million valuation. Savinho, meanwhile, is open to the move, which could facilitate the negotiations.
Having already added Mohammed Kudus and Mathys Tel to their ranks this summer, Tottenham are seeking to bolster their attacking options following the departure of Son Heung-min and James Maddison’s recent ACL injury.
Dejan Kulusevski, Brennan Johnson, Tel and Kudus are all capable of playing on the wing and could provide competiton for Savinho.
But how does the 21-year-old compare to Spurs’ current options? We’ve taken a look at the numbers below.
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Savinho’s journey
Born in Brazil, Savinho’s football journey began at the youth academy of Atletico Mineiro. His impressive performances earned him his first-team debut at just 16 years old, which caught the attention of top scouts.
In January 2024, Savinho made a significant leap to European football, joining Ligue 1 club Troyes – owned by City Football Group – for a club-record £5.5m fee. He did not make an appearance for the club, instead enduring two loan spells – at PSV and Girona – before joining City last summer for £31m.
Despite the fierce competition for places in Pep Guardiola’s side, Savinho impressed in his first season, making 48 appearances and contributing three goals and 10 assists across all competitions.
However, with City’s new signings and greater competition for starting spots, Savinho is reportedly open to beginning a new chapter in north London.
Savinho’s playstyle
At City, Savinho predominantly operates as a winger when Pep Guardiola stretches his formation in possession (in 4-1-4-1, 4-1-2-3 or 4-2-4 setups). However, he has also been deployed as a No 10 in a 4-2-3-1 formation and is comfortable pulling the strings in midfield.
One of the standout aspects of Savinho’s playstyle is his dribbling ability. He completed 2.64 take-ons per 90 last season – the fifth-most of any player in the Premier League.
He is also astute in his link-up play and averaged 20.7 final-third passes completed per 90 last season – the seventh-most in the league. Not to mention, he created 1.83 chances during open play (excluding assists) per 90 – the sixth-most in the league.
Savinho’s contribution is not limited to attacking moments; he also plays a key role in Guardiola’s high-pressing system. Savinho is constantly engaging the opposition in advanced positions, and won possession in the attacking third 0.97 times per 90 last season – the 15th-most in the Premier League. His pressing is crucial for City, especially in recovering the ball in high areas of the pitch, allowing the team to regain possession and immediately threaten on the counter.
Savinho vs Tottenham’s wingers
Savinho made a strong impression in his first Premier League season with City. In 29 appearances, he averaged 0.1 goals per 90 and 0.5 assists, while creating 2.3 chances per 90. His ability to take on defenders is notable, completing 2.7 take-ons per 90. Additionally, Savinho completed 0.9 crosses per 90, characteristic of a touchline winger.
Comparing Savinho to Tottenham’s wingers, Johnson stands out as the most direct competitor based on last season’s numbers. Johnson played 33 games, scoring 0.5 goals per 90 and providing 0.2 assists. While Johnson’s goal tally was higher, his chance creation (0.8) and crossing (0.3) was significantly lower than Savinho’s. Johnson’s take-on success rate was also much lower, completing only 0.8 take-ons per 90 compared to Savinho’s 2.7.
Kulusevski, another key player for Tottenham, offers a more balanced contribution. Kulusevski created 2.5 chances per 90, similar to Savinho’s 2.3, but his goals and assists were lower, with just 0.3 goals and 0.2 assists per 90. Kulusevski’s take-on success (1.5 completed per 90) was also significantly lower than Savinho’s. His crossing was also relatively low at 0.5, which makes sense, considering he contributes more through central play and link-up rather than wide deliveries.
Neither Tel or Kudus matched Savinho’s attacking output in terms of take-ons or chance creation. Tel’s 1.5 take-ons completed per 90 and Kudus’ 3.2 (the highest in this group) are impressive, but their overall contributions in terms of assists and crosses were lower than Savinho’s.