Savinho's Absence Disrupts Manchester City Ahead of Community Shield

Enzo Maresca’s plans for his first piece of Manchester City silverware have hit an early snag.

On the eve of the Community Shield showdown with Arsenal at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, 22-year-old winger Savinho missed City’s latest training session, with The Athletic’s Sam Lee reporting the Brazilian sat out due to illness. It is hardly the disruption Maresca wanted as he shapes his side for the traditional curtain-raiser.

While Savinho stayed away, some familiar – and long-awaited – faces were back on the grass at the City Football Academy. Jack Grealish trained as he pushes to make his first appearance for the club in over a year after a wretched run with injuries. Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and January signing Marc Guehi were all involved too, each staking an early claim for a starting berth against Mikel Arteta’s side this weekend.

Savinho’s absence comes at a fascinating moment. Interest from north London has been building to a crescendo. Roberto De Zerbi is closing in on his primary attacking target, with Tottenham believed to be nearing a full agreement for the £60 million-rated forward.

Tottenham’s Aggressive Rebuild

Tottenham have not tiptoed through this window. They have kicked the door down.

After back-to-back 17th-place finishes in the Premier League, the club has launched an aggressive rebuild under De Zerbi, determined to drag themselves away from the relegation scrap and back toward the top end of the table. The early focus was clear: fix the defence, then transform the midfield, and only then go all-in on the attack.

At the back, Spurs moved quickly. Martin Dubravka, Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke all arrived to stiffen a previously fragile rearguard. That was only the foundation.

The real statement came in midfield. Tottenham committed a combined £185 million to land Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, a double signing that instantly reshaped the spine of the team and underlined the club’s willingness to spend big to accelerate the project.

Now the gaze has shifted to the final third. Savinho sits at the top of the list.

Sales to Fund the Final Push

To keep that recruitment drive rolling, Spurs know they must sell. Big names, too.

Cristian Romero is close to sealing a move to Atletico Madrid, a departure that would have been unthinkable not long ago but now looks key to balancing the books. Full-back Djed Spence is set for a switch to Inter, another deal designed to free up room on the wage bill and create the financial headroom required for one last major attacking splash.

Those exits are expected to arm Tottenham with enough leverage to properly test City’s resolve over Savinho. The complication? City’s hierarchy are unlikely to welcome the idea of strengthening a domestic rival without lining up a replacement of their own. Any negotiation will be tense, and time is running.

Gakpo on the Radar

Tottenham have prepared for that scenario.

If City dig in and a deal for Savinho becomes too complex or too costly, Spurs have drawn up an alternative of genuine quality: Cody Gakpo. The Liverpool forward is highly admired at Hotspur Way, valued for his versatility across the frontline and his proven output at the highest level.

Landing him, though, looks far from straightforward. Journalist Ben Jacobs has outlined Liverpool’s stance, with the club reluctant to let Gakpo go unless they can first secure multiple attacking replacements. That stance piles difficulty onto an already tight deadline.

One Box Left to Tick

As the transfer window edges toward its close, Tottenham’s situation is stark. The defence has been rebuilt. The midfield has been overhauled. The project has a clear shape.

One major attacking signing remains.

Whether De Zerbi gets his man in Savinho or is forced to pivot toward Gakpo or another elite option, Spurs look determined to walk away from this window with their forward line transformed – and their ambitions for the season unmistakably raised.