Manchester City have been informed by Savinho that the Brazilian winger wants to leave the Etihad Stadium this summer, with Tottenham Hotspur now expected to push harder for a deal before the transfer window closes.
The 22-year-old, who only returned to pre-season training under new head coach Enzo Maresca last week, has made his intentions clear to the club, according to City Xtra.
The report states that Savinho’s motivation centres on wanting more regular football and a clearer path for his development, rather than any fallout at the club.
It is the clearest signal yet that City’s resistance to selling one of their most eye-catching attacking talents may be softening, even if letting him go will not be straightforward with pre-season already under way.
Spurs long-term admirers, but deal yet to be struck
Tottenham, now managed by Roberto De Zerbi, have circled Savinho for some time, and reports suggest a move looked close to progressing earlier in the window.
Yet nothing concrete has materialised, with City understood to be reluctant to sanction a departure without first lining up a replacement in wide areas.
Names loosely linked with the Etihad in recent weeks include Chelsea’s Pedro Neto, Paris Saint-Germain’s Ibrahim Mbaye and Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi, though none of those links have moved beyond speculation.
That search for cover appears to be at the heart of the hold-up, rather than any disagreement over Savinho’s valuation or personal terms, which are not expected to be a stumbling block for Tottenham.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the decision on Savinho’s future now sits with City’s recruitment staff at the City Football Academy, who must balance the financial upside of a sale against the operational headache of reshaping Maresca’s attacking options just weeks before the new season.
Maresca faces early selection call on pre-season tour
The timing complicates matters for Maresca, who is preparing to name his squad on Tuesday afternoon for City’s pre-season tour of Hong Kong and South Korea.
The Blues face a testing itinerary of three friendlies against Inter Milan, a K-League All-Stars side and Atletico Madrid, before returning home to face Arsenal in the FA Community Shield on 16 August.
Whether Savinho travels with the squad remains uncertain. Including a player who has openly stated his desire to leave is rarely straightforward for a head coach still settling into the job, though excluding him risks reading as confirmation that a exit is imminent.
Maresca, who succeeded Pep Guardiola at the Etihad this summer, is still shaping his first City squad and will be wary of unsettling the group during a tour designed partly to build early cohesion under the new regime.
Savinho joined City from Girona in 2024 and quickly established himself as a lively, direct outlet down the right, contributing goals and assists across his time at the club.
His release from that early promise into apparent restlessness reflects a broader pattern at City this summer, as the club works through a period of transition following Guardiola’s departure after nearly a decade in charge.
For Tottenham, landing Savinho would represent a statement of intent under De Zerbi. Personal terms are not expected to present any real obstacle once City and Tottenham find common ground on a fee.
