Manchester City sells Savinho to Tottenham for £85 million, the most expensive sale in club history

Just a year ago, Manchester City presented Savinho as one of the key pieces meant to define the club's new post-Guardiola era. That future didn't last long: the Citizens have reached an agreement with Tottenham to transfer the Brazilian winger for 85 million pounds (about $115 million), according to a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the details have not yet been made official. Neither City nor Tottenham have commented publicly on the deal.

The fee makes Savinho's departure the most expensive sale in Manchester City's history, a fact that alone speaks to the upheaval underway at the club this transfer window. What stands out just as much is how quickly his stock fell on the field: he arrived from Girona (City Football Group's sister club) for 40 million euros in the summer of 2024 amid huge expectations, and he leaves with a modest tally of two goals in 53 Premier League appearances. His final ball and decision making in the attacking third were, as has been repeated within the club's inner circle, a constant source of frustration for teammates and fans alike. He also wasn't called up by Brazil for the upcoming World Cup, another sign that the project never quite clicked.

City isn't selling by accident. This move comes just days after the club transferred Spain captain Rodri to Barcelona for a fee close to 76.5 million euros. Add to that the departures of Tijjani Reijnders and Nathan Ake, plus the released contracts of John Stones and Bernardo Silva. On the other side of the ledger, the only significant addition for attack or midfield has been England's Elliot Anderson, signed in a transfer worth roughly 116 million pounds. All of this is unfolding with Enzo Maresca now installed on the bench following Pep Guardiola's departure, and with the sense that the Italian manager is rebuilding the squad almost from scratch. It didn't help that the team was thrashed 3-0 by Arsenal in last Sunday's Community Shield.

Tottenham opens the checkbook

On the other end of the deal, Tottenham is making clear this summer is no time for half measures. If the Savinho signing goes through, Roberto De Zerbi's side would match Chelsea as the biggest spender in Europe this transfer window, an unusual position for a club that had historically lagged behind the Premier League's giants when it came to investment. Before this move, they had already paid a club record fee of 100 million pounds for Italy's Sandro Tonali, arriving from Newcastle, and just days earlier had shelled out 85 million pounds for midfielder Mateus Fernandes, who came from West Ham. Add to that list center backs Jan Paul van Hecke and Marco Senesi, plus former Liverpool left back Andy Robertson.

The shift in philosophy has a clear explanation: two straight seasons finishing 17th, one spot from relegation, set off alarm bells in the front office. Chairman Peter Charrington himself acknowledged as much in an open letter after the last campaign ended.

Footballing success was not driving our decision making.Peter Charrington

With that statement as a starting point, Tottenham appears determined not to repeat past mistakes. It remains to be seen whether Savinho, stepping out from the shadow he left in Manchester, can find in London the kind of form everyone expected of him when he left Girona.