Rafi Moersen was the brains behind City's decision to sign Brazilian flop Savinho - and has now done it again on behalf of Spurs - for £50m more in a deal which is difficult to fathom
Savinho
Savinho has cost Tottenham a staggering £85m (Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
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Senior figures at Manchester City are said to be thrilled with the sale of Savinho to Tottenham in a deal which could reach £85m.
And so they should be. Because somehow, City have managed to make more than £50m profit on a footballer who contributed little or nothing to the team's success in the short time he spent at the Etihad.
It took Pep Guardiola less than half a season to realise he'd made a mistake in signing the Brazilian winger from Troyes in 2024. In two seasons in Manchester, Savinho made just 28 league appearances. These included a grand total of seven last season. But it was his lack of commitment as much as his lack of impression and goals, which made the £30.8m fee look extortionate.
Let's just say Guardiola and his coaching staff had little time for Savinho's work rate and reluctance to get physical when he needed to. But there is a man working at the highest level of football who must see something in Savinho no-one else can: Carlos Raphael Moersen.
Moersen, who is known as 'Rafi" to his friends and colleagues, oversaw Savinho's transfer to City when he was the City Football Group executive.
He spent almost a decade working across CFG clubs and, and was responsible for overseeing football transactions within the organisation. In December of 2025 Moersen was lured to Tottenham, as the club's new director of football operations. Moersen arrived in north London with big ideas.
And it just so happens one of them was for Spurs to sign Savinho. Which they have now done. Signing someone who looks out of his depth in the Premier League once, is clumsy. But doing the same thing twice is downright foolish. Undeterred, Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi is under the impression he's landed himself a game-changing star.
Savinho
Savinho failed to make an impact at Manchester City (Image: Getty Images)
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"Savio is a player who brings energy, imagination and quality in wide positions. He has the courage to attack defenders and the ability to change a game with his creativity," he said.
Spurs' fascination with Savinho is as remarkable as it is hard to fathom. Because, and with respect to De Zerbi, if Guardiola didn't rate him, then why would an Italian whose greatest managerial achievement to date is winning the Ukrainian Super Cup?
Spurs supporters should be bracing themselves. To witness a footballer who flatters to deceive - thus personifying what his new club have been all about in recent times.