Tottenham Hotspur have been working hard on a deal to sign Savinho from Manchester City and have appeared to be making real progress.
The 22-year-old was left out against Arsenal for the Community Shield game, but it was not due to transfer-related reasons. He was ill, and new Manchester City boss Enzo Maresca decided not to include him in his squad for the Community Shield game on Sunday. However, things are expected to heat up on the player’s future this week.
Transfer news guru Fabrizio Romano revealed last week that Tottenham and Manchester City are working through the final structural terms of the high-profile transfer deal. This update came after reports suggested that Tottenham submitted an eye-watering £85 million bid to secure the Brazilian international’s signature. The transfer agreement between the two Premier League clubs is structured around a base fee of £65 million, complemented by performance-related add-ons.
Stefan Borson reacts to Tottenham agreeing a mammoth fee with Man City for Savinho
Former Man City financial advisor Stefan Borson has now reacted to this transfer development. He has expressed his astonishment at the reported £85 million fee agreed between Spurs and Man City for Savinho.
“I think the Savinho situation will come to a head this weekend. I can’t believe it’s £85m,” Stefan Borson exclusively told Football Insider.
“That would be a quite remarkable fee. What is any relatively young, relatively decent player now worth? It’s absolutely extraordinary.
“All of these players just seem to be worth, if you’re young, if you’re below 22 and quite good, it’s now that they’re worth £80m.”
Are Tottenham overpaying for Savinho?
Savinho moved to the Etihad Stadium in 2024, and his first season yielded two goals and 10 assists across all competitions. It was a decent return for someone so young adapting to the demands of the Premier League, learning Pep Guardiola’s system and striking up a relationship with his new teammates. However, the second season turned out to be far from ideal.
The Brazilian trickster often struggled to make an impact for the Sky Blues. Injuries and internal competition within the squad restricted him to just 24 Premier League appearances, in which the winger bagged just a goal and an assist. However, despite those poor returns, Spurs have agreed to pay such an eye-watering fee for the services of the player.
This demonstrates that Roberto De Zerbi and the key decision-makers in N17 are not paying a premium for what Savinho is right now, but for the potential he possesses. At 22, the City attacker is not the finished product by any means and has the tools to develop a lot. Tottenham chiefs are convinced that De Zerbi is the right manager to hone the South American talent’s skills and help him unlock his true potential.
Thus, they have decided to pay a premium for Savinho’s services, as De Zerbi appears keen to add to his attack to boost the Lilywhites’ hopes of landing a Champions League spot. After Maresca excluded the young winger from his squad vs. Arsenal on Sunday, a move to N17 appears close.