Manchester City agree record £75m deal to sell Savinho to Tottenham
Manchester City have agreed to sell winger Savinho to Tottenham Hotspur in a club-record deal worth an initial £75m.
The transfer, which includes a further £10m in performance-related add-ons, represents a massive financial windfall for the City Football Group (CFG).
Spurs are acquiring a 22-year-old who delivered 16 goal contributions in 48 appearances under Pep Guardiola last season.
The Brazilian led the Premier League champions in domestic assists during his solitary campaign at Etihad Stadium.
A multi-club success story
The highly profitable sale highlights the controversial but lucrative nature of the Abu Dhabi-owned network’s multi-club model.
He originally joined CFG-owned French side Troyes in 2022 for a club-record fee but departed two years later without making a single appearance.
Instead, the South American prospect developed his reputation during loan spells with Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven and Spanish outfit Girona.
His breakthrough 2023-24 season in La Liga saw him register nine goals and eight assists as Girona secured historic Champions League qualification.
Internal transfers and rapid profit
Following his impressive spell in Spain, the English champions purchased the attacker internally from Troyes for £30.8m in early 2024.
That intra-network transaction drew significant scrutiny over whether the transfer fee represented fair market value.
Despite lingering questions over his long-term sporting legacy in Manchester, flipping the player for a £44m profit mere months later marks an undeniable business triumph.
“It’s a success story for the group.”
Brian Marwood, CFG managing director of global football
Girona’s lingering regrets
Girona had desperately hoped to retain their talisman for their inaugural European Cup campaign before Guardiola integrated him into the English setup.
“Our intention from the moment that we reached the Champions League was to try to get him to stay for another year,” Quique Carcel, director of football at Girona, told BBC Sport.
“But logically after making such a big impact, City, Pep and Txiki Begiristain were already considering having him in their first-team squad.”
Tottenham fans will now hope the dynamic forward can immediately replicate his stunning Spanish form as he heads to north London.