Manchester City find themselves in focus again as Brazil dissects the deal that first took Savinho to Europe.
According to L1 Insider, the winger left Atlético-MG for Troyes, a club owned by the City Football Group, in a move worth €6m (£5m).
Unrealistic bonus structure
The fixed fee looked normal, but the contract added several bonuses that were almost impossible to reach. Each clause depended on Troyes achieving targets far beyond their reality.
The story revealed six conditional bonuses. Savinho would earn Atlético-MG €250k for every ten league starts for Troyes, up to sixty matches.
There’d be €500k for each set of five Champions League group-stage starts, and €750k for five knockout appearances. Other clauses promised €500k for 20 goal contributions in Ligue 1, €500k after three Brazil starts while tied to Troyes, and €1.5m for winning the Ballon d’Or as a Troyes player.
He never played for the French club, so none of these bonuses activated.
What happened next
Savinho later joined Girona, another City Football Group team, where he excelled. After that successful season, Manchester City confirmed his signing in 2024.
Because the bonuses were tied to Troyes alone, Atlético-MG received only the fixed €6m. Brazilian outlets say the club still hold a small resale percentage, but nothing immediate.
Lisbon, Portugal – 11 05 2024: Savinho seen during UEFA Champions League game between teams of Sporting CP and Manchester City FC
Why it matters for Manchester City
From a Premier League view, Manchester City made a clever acquisition through the multi-club system. They secured one of Brazil’s top young wingers for a fraction of his current market value.
The case keeps fuelling debates about how ownership groups handle internal transfers and profit distribution between their clubs. Savinho shines at the Etihad, while the odd Troyes contract remains a talking point in both Brazil and Europe.