Tottenham Hotspur’s long wait to sign Savio from Manchester City is officially over, with the winger officially completing the move on Tuesday at the tail end of a busy summer in the transfer market for the north London-based club.Savio, as Spurs referred to him in their announcement, who previously went by Savinho with City, had been a target of Spurs for a year before the deal finally went through and is expected to slot into the team’s attack as soon as he is ready to play. Spurs reportedly paid a transfer fee of around $102 million for the winger’s services, making him one of the most expensive signings in the club’s history but on trend for their business this summer. Spurs have spent upwards of $400 million on transfers this summer in time for Roberto De Zerbi’s first full season as the manager, each of the club’s top three record signings coming this summer – the fee for Savio was only outdone in Spurs’ deals for Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United and Mateus Fernandes from West Ham United.The winger is expected to slot into Spurs’ attack as soon as he is ready, especially after an understaffed version of the team underwhelmed in a 3-0 defeat to Brentford to open their season. Mikey Moore, the 19-year-old academy product, played right wing on Saturday but is reportedly set to join Bundesliga side Koln in a season-long loan after spending the previous campaign on loan at Rangers.The move feels like a natural fit for all, even when considering the fact that Savio will be saddled with the pressures of the price tag. Spurs’ overall ability to break back into the race to finish inside the UEFA Champions League berths after a few seasons away may still be up for debate, but Savio offers only upside for the team, with both sides poised to benefit from the move regardless of how it all shakes out.Here’s analysis on the transfer and how all parties involved will fare now that the deal’s complete.
Tottenham HotspurSpurs have been in long need of an attacking refresh, which is why Savinho was a target a year ago after a season in which they ranked ninth in the Premier League on expected goals, but the drop-off since only accentuated the fact. Losing Son Heung-min, who still posted 11 goals and 11 assists across all competitions in his final campaign with the club despite entering his post-peak years, hurt, but injuries to Dominic Solanke and James Maddison, who jointly had 28 goals and 18 assists that campaign, only made matters worse. Spurs ranked 17th in the Premier League for expected goals last season, appropriate for a team that narrowly survived relegation, the available attackers unable to fill in the gaps in front of them. Randal Kolo Muani, now back on Juventus’ books after a season-long loan at Spurs, was De Zerbi’s main choice at right wing and did not muster much under the new coach despite the pressures of needing to perform – he generated just 0.35 expected goals and 0.33 expected assists in seven games, failing to make much of a dent.Savio offers a lot more, especially in terms of shot creation. He had a smaller role with Manchester City last season, but he impressed in his first season in England – after which he became a target for Spurs – with 10 assists and 69 chances created across 44 games in all competitions. Their interest in Savio, then, comes as little surprise and the price tag should not mask the fact that this is a good fit for both the club and the player. Paying a premium is one of the realities of the game now, especially for clubs with Spurs’ means; might as well spend those funds on a player who is worth it. Grade: AManchester CitySavio played 44 games for City last season across all competitions, so he was useful as they navigated yet another fixture-congested campaign, but it was clear from the start that he was low on the depth chart. That remained the case as Enzo Maresca succeeded Pep Guardiola as the City coach, the Manchester-based club boasting enough attacking firepower elsewhere to deem Savio surplus to requirements. They will be happy with the fee, though – the deal is a record sale for City, who paid Troyes around $42 million two years ago to sign the Brazilian winger. Grade: A
SavioSavio is the biggest beneficiary of all – he can quickly become the most important attacker on a Premier League team, one capable of qualifying for European competition despite certain roster imperfections. At just 22 years old, he also has the chance to live up to the potential he had as he bounced around Europe to start his career, especially during a breakout season at Girona that commanded City’s attention. Savio has the skillset to raise Spurs’ ceiling after a pair of inconsistent seasons, plus the talent to be the headlining act in a revamp-themed summer. Grade: A
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