Tottenham have agreed an £85 million deal with Manchester City to sign Brazilian forward Savinho, with an initial £75 million payment plus a further £10 million available in add-ons. Around £5 million of those potential bonuses are understood to be effectively guaranteed, meaning City could ultimately receive at least £80 million from the transfer. The 22-year-old is scheduled to undergo a medical with Spurs on Friday afternoon.
A Player Short on Regular Minutes at City
Savinho has played a largely peripheral role since joining Manchester City in 2024, starting only seven of his 24 Premier League appearances last season, contributing one goal and two assists. Spurs remain in separate talks with City over a possible deal for striker Omar Marmoush as they continue looking to bolster their attacking options further.
Part of a Major Summer Spend
The Savinho deal takes Tottenham’s summer outlay beyond £200 million across six first-team signings. That business already includes a combined £185 million spent on midfielders Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, from Newcastle and West Ham respectively, plus a £52 million move for Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton as a replacement for Cristian Romero. Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson and Martin Dubravka have all arrived on free transfers.
How Are Spurs Spending So Heavily?
Sky Sports News’ Michael Bridge explained earlier in the window that Tottenham face no concerns about breaching the Premier League’s financial regulations, pointing to the club’s strong underlying financial health after qualifying for European competition in 18 of the last 20 seasons. Stadium-driven revenue from boxing, concerts, NFL games and more has been a major contributor, with Tottenham having overtaken Chelsea in the latest Deloitte Money League to become the ninth richest club in the world, with annual revenues of £549.2 million.
Bridge also noted Tottenham are among the clubs best placed to benefit from the Premier League’s recent shift from Profit and Sustainability Rules to a squad cost ratio model. Beyond the numbers, he pointed to a genuine change in approach following Daniel Levy’s departure at the start of last season, with new leadership keen to compete at the very top of the table a commitment made to supporters after Spurs narrowly avoided relegation on the final day of the previous campaign, and one the club appears determined to follow through on.
Why City Are Willing to Let Savinho Go
Sky Sports News’ Ben Ransom explained that both Savinho and Marmoush have become largely surplus to Pep Guardiola’s successor Enzo Maresca’s plans this season. While Maresca has stressed both players remain entitled to stay and compete for a starting spot, City appear willing to let them leave for the right offer if regular first-team football isn’t realistically on the table a situation Ransom compared to how goalkeeper James Trafford’s departure was handled.
City are expected to need at least one direct replacement following these exits, with the club ideally hoping to bring in cover for both positions. With less than a fortnight remaining in the transfer window, however, filling two significant positions so late presents a real challenge.
Quick Facts: Savinho to Tottenham
- Fee: £85m (£75m + £10m add-ons, ~£5m guaranteed)
- Savinho’s 2025/26 City season: 24 appearances (7 starts), 1 goal, 2 assists
- Spurs’ summer spend so far: £200m+ across six signings
- Other ongoing City-Spurs talks: Omar Marmoush
- Tottenham’s Deloitte Money League ranking: 9th richest club in the world (£549.2m revenue)
