Manchester City's squad rebuild will continue this summer and some difficult conversations need to take place.
Savinho has struggled to make his mark in Manchester
Savinho has struggled to make his mark in Manchester
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Savinho might have found himself embroiled in a relegation scrap this season rather than challenging for a Premier League title had last summer played out differently.
The Brazilian was a target for Tottenham, but Manchester City stuck to a high valuation that Spurs did not come close to meeting and Savinho remained at the Etihad.
Despite avoiding man almost catastrophic campaign with Spurs, Savinho's second season at City hasn't exactly gone to plan either. Injury problems and poor form meant he made just seven Premier League starts in 2025/26, with Jeremy Doku and Antoine Semenyo the clear first-choice forwards for Pep Guardiola either side of Erling Haaland.
13 assists in his maiden year in England suggested City had got themselves a bargain following his 2024 move from Troyes for an initial fee of £21million (with a further £12.6m in potential add-ons), but Savinho looks to have lost his way a little since then.
Guardiola has regularly spoken of the 22-year-old's quality and what he needs to do to take the next step in his career. After watching City blow Juventus away in a 5-2 victory at the Club World Cup last summer, Guardiola said: "Last season he started well and then played a little less because of my reasons but he is a player with incredible potential.
"We cannot forget he is so young. He needs to make more decisive actions in the final third. The moment he makes this step and says he wants to be the player that is decisive, he will be an extraordinary player."
Four months on and the message was still the same. "I said last season, being [in your] first Premier League season, it’s not easy to play a lot of minutes," Pep said in October. "Just the moment to make the steps to be a decisive player and add goals and assists, especially goals, he will be a top-class player. Top class. He needs to make that step."
The 'decisive' actions Guardiola mentioned have been few and far between, and there comes a point where City need to have a serious chat about what the future holds for Savinho.
With Doku, Semenyo, Phil Foden and Rayan Cherki all ahead of him in the pecking order, and Enzo Maresca - should his appointment be confirmed - no doubt keen to put his own stamp on the squad with new additions, it's difficult to see where Savinho fits into this City side.
Guardiola was under no illusions as to just how good Savinho could be, but the Brazilian has yet to take that next step he talked of, and if he isn't playing regularly then that next step becomes even steeper.
This isn't to say Savinho's future definitely lies away from the Etihad, but you wonder how willing City would be to play ball should another offer arrive.