- Tottenham Hotspur have completed the signing of Brazil winger Sávio from Manchester City, giving Roberto De Zerbi another major attacking weapon as Spurs accelerate their rebuild.
Tottenham announced the move on Tuesday, with Manchester City separately confirming that the Brazilian has left the Etihad on a permanent transfer after two seasons.
Neither club disclosed the transfer fee.
However, Sky Sports News reports that Tottenham will pay an initial £75 million, with another £10m available in add-ons, potentially taking the deal to £85m.For Spurs, this is not simply another addition.
It is another expensive statement about the type of attack De Zerbi is trying to build.
Player: Sávio
Age: 22
From: Manchester City
To: Tottenham Hotspur
Transfer: Permanent — officially confirmed by both clubs
Reported fee: £75m initial + £10m possible add-ons
Squad number: 17
Manchester City record: 84 appearances, seven goals
Girona record: 41 appearances, 11 goals
Sávio Gets Tottenham’s No.17 Shirt
Tottenham have also confirmed that Sávio will wear the No.17 shirt at his new club.
The 22-year-old arrives with Premier League and Champions League experience and a reputation built around pace, direct dribbling and the willingness to attack defenders.
De Zerbi described the Brazilian as a winger capable of bringing energy, imagination and quality in wide positions, while sporting director Johan Lange said Tottenham had monitored him for some time.
That profile fits what Spurs need.
Their Premier League campaign began with a 3-0 defeat at Brentford, immediately increasing the pressure for Tottenham’s new-look squad to produce a stronger attacking response. Tottenham themselves described it as a difficult opening weekend.
From Girona Breakthrough to Manchester City
Sávio’s reputation accelerated during his loan spell at Girona in 2023-24.
Tottenham’s official profile credits him with 41 appearances and 11 goals during a season in which Girona finished third in La Liga and qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time.
He also completed 104 dribbles, which Tottenham says was the highest total in La Liga that season.
Manchester City signed him in 2024.
City’s official departure announcement records 84 appearances and seven goals across his two seasons at the club.
Now Tottenham are betting that a player who operated inside City’s deep attacking pool can assume greater responsibility in north London.
De Zerbi Helped Sell the Tottenham Project
Sávio has indicated that his conversation with De Zerbi played an important role in the move.
In his first Tottenham interview, the Brazil international said the coach’s plans for his development helped convince him that Spurs were the right destination.
That makes the transfer particularly significant for De Zerbi.
Sávio is not being presented simply as squad depth.
His ability to isolate defenders, carry the ball at speed and create disruption from wide areas fits naturally with an aggressive attacking system.
The next challenge is consistency.
Reported £85m Package Raises Expectations
The reported numbers ensure Sávio will not arrive without pressure.
Sky Sports says Spurs are committing £75m up front, with another £10m potentially due through bonuses.
For a 22-year-old winger, that level of investment changes the conversation.
Development still matters.
But so does immediate output.
Tottenham need more penetration, more unpredictability and players capable of changing the rhythm of matches.
Sávio has the tools.
The price means he will be expected to use them quickly.
Why Manchester City Let Sávio Leave
Manchester City’s official announcement confirms the permanent transfer but does not present the move as a judgment on Sávio’s quality, nor does it provide a tactical explanation for the sale.
That distinction matters.
There is no need to invent a falling-out, selection dispute or failure narrative.
What is known is simpler: Tottenham wanted the winger, City agreed to sell, and Spurs have made another substantial investment in De Zerbi’s squad.
Tottenham’s Message Is Getting Louder
Sávio’s arrival adds another layer to a summer in which Tottenham have already spent heavily rebuilding their first team.
Sky Sports reports that his signing takes Spurs’ summer spending beyond the £300m mark.
That puts the club’s ambition under a brighter light.
A rebuild of this scale eventually has to become results.
Sávio arrives with pace, Premier League experience and the one-on-one ability to make defenders retreat.
Tottenham have paid heavily for that potential.
Now De Zerbi has to turn it into pressure opponents can actually feel.
