There's been a lack of progress regarding Tottenham's proposed move for Savinho, and a major factor why became clear on Tuesday.
Reports of our interest in the Manchester City winger surfaced ten days ago, much to the surprise of many. Savinho, off the back of a fine debut season in Manchester, wasn't deemed a realistic target in the minds of supporters, but the player's willingness to leave encouraged the Lilywhites, with Thomas Frank supposedly a big fan.
While the new manager inherited an array of wide options, Son Heung-min's departure means there's a sizeable void to fill. The prospect of Savinho lining up in N17 was one that sparked the salivary glands of every Spurs fan, but there are obstacles for the north Londoners to navigate.
Man City CEO a major sticking point in Savinho deal
Ferran Soriano
Ferran Soriano is currently Spurs' transfer nemesis. | Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/GettyImages
Most significantly, Tottenham are yet to strike a deal with the Cityzens. Exactly how much City want is unclear, but if various reports are to be believed, Spurs are at least a few million off their valuation, which could be as much as £70m.
While Pep Guardiola has previously described Savinho as "extraordinary", he won't stand in the Brazilian's way if he wants to leave the club. The City boss confirmed before their 4-0 victory at Wolves that the winger would miss the first few games of the season due to injury, although the majority were skeptical over the legitimacy of that claim.
Pep would sell him. It's not him blocking it. It's Ferran
— Paul O Keefe (@pokeefe1) August 19, 2025
According to insider Paul O'Keefe, the Savinho hold-up has little to do with Guardiola but City Football Group CEO Ferran Soriano, who's currently "blocking" the move.
O'Keefe adds that, at this stage, a deal looks "unlikely". Only a huge offer will change City’s—or, more specifically Soriano’s—stance.
Fabrizio Romano also made note of a "hierarchical" figure who isn't convinced that selling the 21-year-old is the right decision. The Italian says that City are still scarred from the decision to part ways with Cole Palmer two summers ago, and don't want to make the same mistake again.
That, in fairness, is understandable. However, Guardiola has made it clear that he wants his squad trimmed before the end of the summer window, and City are certainly well stocked in wide areas. Oscar Bobb is back fit and firing, and the Spaniard can also call upon the likes of Jeremy Doku, Phil Foden, Rayan Cherki, Omar Marmoush and Bernardo Silva.
Still, it looks like our Savinho dream is fading, unfortunately.