Tottenham Hotspur are refusing to let go of one of the Premier League’s most persistent transfer sagas. Spurs are locked in daily negotiations with Manchester City over Brazilian winger Savinho, and after months of chasing, this deal finally feels like it is heading somewhere real before the transfer window slams shut on September 1.
A Chase Years in the Making
This is not a new crush. Tottenham first tried to sign Savinho from Troyes before he ever kicked a ball for Manchester City, only to see the move blocked by Pep Guardiola. The 22-year-old joined City instead in 2024 and has racked up seven goals and 13 assists in 84 appearances, but game time has been hard to come by, with just seven Premier League starts last season. That frustration appears to be the crack in the door Tottenham needed.
According to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, talks between the two clubs are now happening “on a daily basis,” with Spurs having already tabled an offer in the region of £85 million to match City’s asking price. Romano also revealed Savinho was deliberately left out of City’s Community Shield squad because he wants the move to north London finalized before deadline day.
Personal Terms Already Agreed
Reports out of Brazil add serious weight to the story. ESPN Brazil says Savinho has given Tottenham a verbal agreement on personal terms and is now simply waiting on the two clubs to sort out the finer details of a deal. Football Insider goes further, suggesting the structure of the package, worth close to £60 million by some estimates and up to £85 million by others depending on add-ons, is close enough that all parties are confident of getting it over the line before the window closes.
The gap in numbers across different reports is not unusual this deep into a transfer saga. What matters is the direction of travel. Every recent report agrees on the same headline: Savinho wants out of the Etihad, and Tottenham is his preferred destination.
Why De Zerbi Wants Savinho
New Tottenham head coach Roberto De Zerbi has made strengthening his attacking width a priority this summer, and Savinho has been identified as exactly the kind of direct, unpredictable winger his system needs. Sources close to the negotiations say the Brazilian has held conversations with De Zerbi personally to understand his role in the team, a sign of just how advanced and serious this interest has become.
Savinho would not be arriving alone. Tottenham are simultaneously pushing to complete a deal for Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo, with Romano describing the club’s transfer plan simply as “Savinho and Gakpo, Gakpo and Savinho, plus a centre striker.” It is an ambitious double swoop that shows Spurs mean business in the final stretch of the window.
What Happens Next
Manchester City have reportedly lined up Real Madrid’s Rodrygo as a replacement option should Savinho depart, suggesting the club is preparing for life without him rather than digging in to keep him. With personal terms in place and negotiations moving daily, Tottenham fans have every reason to believe their long pursuit of Savinho is finally about to pay off.
All eyes now turn to the final days of the transfer window, where one more push could turn months of speculation into a done deal.
