Tottenham Completes £85m Signing of Savio as De Zerbi Era Takes Off
Tottenham have finally got their man.
Spurs have completed the signing of winger Savio from Manchester City in a deal worth up to £85m, a transfer that sends their summer spending surging past the £300m mark and underlines just how aggressively the club is backing Roberto De Zerbi.
The north London side will pay an initial £75m for the 22-year-old Brazil international, with a further £10m tied to add-ons. Of those bonuses, £5m are understood to be effectively guaranteed, meaning City are set to bank at least £80m from the move.
Savio, previously registered as Savinho at City, has been a long-term Spurs target and a source of frustration after they failed to land him last summer. That pursuit is over. He arrives as a marquee signing, and he will wear the No 17 shirt.
Record fee for City, statement signing for Spurs
For Manchester City, the deal sets a new club record for a sale, eclipsing Julián Álvarez’s £82m move to Atletico Madrid earlier in the 2024 window. For Tottenham, it’s another loud declaration of intent.
Savio joins a growing cast of high-profile arrivals. Spurs have already paid £100m for Sandro Tonali, £85m for Mateus Fernandes and £52m for Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke. Add Savio’s £85m and the outlay on those four alone hits £322m.
On top of that, Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi have come through the door on free transfers, with Martin Dubravka also included in Spurs’ free-transfer business when assessing the wider window.
The numbers are eye-watering. According to Sky Sports’ analysis using valuations from Transfermarkt, Tottenham have overspent on players by nearly £130m in this window, more than any other Premier League club. Even when the free transfers are factored in, the overspend still stands at £101.7m.
Savio tops that list individually. Spurs have paid around £55m over his estimated market value, making him the single most “overpaid for” signing of the summer by that metric. Tonali and Fernandes complete a Spurs clean sweep of the top three overspends.
‘One of the best managers in the world’
Behind the numbers, Savio’s words made it clear why he chose north London.
“It’s taken a while but I’m very happy to be here,” he said in a club statement. “It’s a wonderful opportunity at a brilliant club with one of the best managers in the world.
“As soon as I spoke to the head coach I knew I had to come. He told me he wants to help me reach the highest level, and I believe we can do that together, as a team.”
De Zerbi, whose attacking philosophy has already reshaped Spurs’ identity, sees Savio as a perfect fit for his wide-forward roles.
“Savio is a player who brings energy, imagination and quality in wide positions,” the Spurs boss said. “He has the courage to attack defenders and the ability to change a game with his creativity.
“We’re very pleased to have him with us, and I’m looking forward to working with him, helping him continue to grow and seeing him bring his personality to the team.”
That last line matters. De Zerbi wants wingers who take risks, who drive at full-backs, who break structure to win games. Savio has been bought to do exactly that.
Marmoush talks continue as City juggle options
Tottenham may not be finished raiding City’s forward line.
Sky Sports News reported on Friday that Spurs are very close to finalising a deal with City for Omar Marmoush, with advanced negotiations “progressing in the right direction” and the player understood to be on board with the move.
City, though, are suddenly light in attacking areas. Enzo Maresca has already confirmed that Jeremy Doku is injured, and with Savio now gone for £85m, the Premier League champions are short of natural forward options.
Marmoush was an unused substitute in City’s 2-1 win over Bournemouth on the opening weekend of the league season, but he did feature in the Community Shield defeat to Arsenal, coming off the bench for 37 minutes in the 3-0 loss.
If Spurs push that deal over the line as well, De Zerbi’s attacking stable will be even deeper – and the debate over Tottenham’s spending will only intensify.
For now, though, the focus is on the Brazilian in the No 17 shirt, the record-breaking fee and the clear message from Spurs’ hierarchy: De Zerbi has the backing. What he does with it will define Tottenham’s season.
