Tottenham Pay $115 Million for Savinho as Summer Spending Spree Tops $400 Million

Eighty five million pounds, roughly $115 million, for a winger who managed just two goals in the Premier League across two seasons. That is how expensive it now is to buy in the Premier League, and that is how convinced Tottenham is that Savinho can become a different player away from the Etihad.

The Brazilian arrives from Manchester City in a deal that pushes the Spurs' summer spending past $400 million. It is no isolated splurge: in recent weeks the London club had already paid a club record fee of 100 million pounds ($133 million) for Italian midfielder Sandro Tonali, signed from Newcastle, plus another 85 million pounds (worth $113 million at the time) for midfielder Mateus Fernandes, who joined from West Ham. With Savinho now added, the list of marquee signings this transfer window keeps growing.

Roberto De Zerbi is heading into his first full season in charge of Tottenham with a squad that has been largely rebuilt, and the 22-year-old Savinho is the latest piece of that puzzle. The Brazilian had joined City in 2024 from Troyes, a sister club within the same ownership group, for 40 million euros ($43.6 million), but he never quite settled in: two goals in 53 Premier League appearances, and to make matters worse, he was left out of Brazil's squad for this year's World Cup.

Savinho himself admitted the negotiations dragged on for much of the summer.

It's taken some time, but I'm really happy to be here. It's a wonderful opportunity at a brilliant club with one of the best coaches in the world. As soon as I spoke with the manager, I knew I had to come. He told me he wants to help me reach the highest level, and I believe we can achieve that together, as a team.Savinho

De Zerbi, for his part, was full of praise for his new signing, highlighting his energy, his imagination and his quality, along with the winger's ability to take on defenders and decide matches with his creative spark.

A League Debut to Forget

Tottenham opened the Premier League season with a heavily refreshed lineup that already featured Tonali and other new arrivals such as Jan Paul van Hecke, Marco Senesi and Andy Robertson. The result did not follow: a 3-0 defeat at Brentford. Between that level of investment and the opening day stumble, the Spurs are shaping up alongside Chelsea as the clubs that have spent the most in this European transfer window.

For City, on the other hand, Savinho's departure is just one more sale within a deep squad overhaul. Manager Enzo Maresca had admitted days earlier that the Brazilian made clear from day one that he wanted to leave. City's list of departures this summer also includes Spanish captain Rodri, sold to Barcelona for 76.5 million euros ($88.5 million), as well as the exits of Tijjani Reijnders, James Trafford and Nathan Ake, and the farewells of longtime figures like John Stones and Bernardo Silva. The only significant addition in attack has been English forward Elliot Anderson, signed for a club record 116 million pounds ($155 million).

The transfer window closes next Tuesday, and more moves are still expected at City, including the possible arrival of Moroccan midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi.