The young winger can be a star in Spain, while the Premier league would offer him very little chance of immediate success
Savio made it clear last year that he wants to play for Manchester City.
"I have the goal of playing for City. I think that when I was signed my goal was always to get to City and I'm working towards that," he told Brazilian outlet in August.
It appears he has done enough to realise that dream. After enjoying a breakout season for unlikely La Liga title hopefuls Girona, Savio has agreed a deal to sign for the reigning Premier League champions. The exact details of the agreement are not yet know, and Savio could yet be loaned back to Girona for next season. But if the goal was to get the chance to impress Pep Guardiola, and strut his stuff in the Premier League, then Savio is well positioned to do just that.
He can't be blamed for taking the opportunity. After all, Savio is a young player with lofty ambitions, and Man City would be an enticing prospect for anyone.
Still, he is far better advised to stay where he is. Savio is 19, immensely talented, and the razor-sharp edge of a team set up to be relevant in La Liga for not only this campaign but the ones to follow. At Girona, once tucked away in relative anonymity north of Barcelona, Savio can be the star. City, meanwhile, could be a place that not only stunts his growth but also stalls his career. This is a footballer's aspiration, but a premature move could be one that sees a promising player fall into irrelevance.
GettyWhy do City want him?
Yes, Savio is good. The natural reference point for any Brazilian winger these days, especially in La Liga, is Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr. Girona manager Michel showed little hesitation in comparing Savio to him.
"I know they are big words, but since the emergence of Vinicius I don’t think I have seen a one-on-one talent as destabilising as him," he told in September 2023.
There are levels here. Vinicius is a world-class talent, arguably the best player to watch in football, and the best left-winger in the world not named Kylian Mbappe. Savio will, in all likelihood, never be that good – very few can be.
But Vini isn't actually the ideal reference point. Savio is an electric winger, equal parts devastating dribbler and clever set-up man. His return of five goals and seven assists in La Liga doesn't necessarily set the world alight – but he functions as the primary threat in a free-flowing attacking configuration.
A dive deeper into the numbers shows that he is a game-changing one-on-one player. Savio ranks in the 87th percentile in successful take-ons, and 89th in progressive carries among all attacking midfielders and wingers in football, according to .
His goals, although few, have come at vital junctures. He scored the winner in a comeback victory over Rayo Vallecano, the go-ahead goal in a high-scoring clash with Atletico Madrid, and the emphatic fifth in a battering of Mallorca.
And then, there's the entertainment factor. Savio is a blisteringly quick and agile dribbler, a blur of body feints and shoulder drops. But every movement seems to have a purpose, every stepover measured, every nutmeg intentional. Man City are getting a very good, very exciting player.
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Naturally, there have been questions as to how, exactly, this transfer was allowed to happen. Savio is technically employed by Ligue 2 side Troyes and on loan at Girona. Effectively, he is being "promoted" through a complex system.
And it's for these kinds of deals that the City Football Group (CFG) was set up. It's a global network of clubs, with Manchester City as its flagship team and main focal point. Founded by City owner Sheikh Mansour, based on the vision of former Barcelona board member Ferran Soriano, the system allows for the movement of top talents all over the globe. Since its inception in 2013, CFG has either acquired or founded 13 teams around the world, now stretching from Japan to Spain.
Multi-club ownership is not an entirely new concept, but the way in which CFG operates is equal parts novel and slightly unsettling. At its best, the network allows for the movement of both players and resources, operating as a de-facto academy system that distributes its talents to specific clubs around the world. One such example is Lazio's Taty Castellanos. He starred at NYCFC before being moved to Girona, and was then sold for a tidy profit to the Serie A side.
But there are some uncomfortable truths here. First is that Man City – and any other CFG clubs – control player value. Savio, for example, should be worth upwards of €50 million (£43m/$54m) in today's climate. The exact fee that Man City will pay Troyes hasn't been revealed, but they will be under immense scrutiny from the Premier League to prove "fair value", according to the . The second, and perhaps more dangerous issue, is that the movement of players often sacrifices the success of the smaller clubs within the network. Take Troyes, for example, who are now facing a second straight relegation after seeing their resources neglected by the central body in charge of the group.
Put more simply: acquiring players at unrealistic values and moving them within the same network – often at the expense of clubs CFG own – seems like an unethical way of doing business.
Getty A risk that could pay off
None of this is Savio's problem. Nor was it Castellanos', or even Frank Lampard's when he moved from Man City to NYCFC in 2015. Footballers will go where the best opportunity lies. And how could Savio, a 19-year-old Brazilian footballer with immense potential, turn down the opportunity to join the most successful and powerful club in the world in recent years?
Guardiola is, of course, the main appeal here. There have been few very coaches in football history who have fine-tuned and perfected players more effectively. He may come under criticism for his hatred of vibes, and occasional disdain for personal expression. But for a young player who needs to be refined, there isn't a better manager in football to work for.
Savio will surely be allured by silverware, too. City won the treble last season, and seem well on their way to claiming at least one more trophy in the months to come. There are scattered reports that Savio will be loaned back to Girona next season, but he will certainly arrive at a club that will be raring to win once again – regardless of when he gets his chance in Manchester.
There also remains the slither of opportunity afforded by a team in transition. City are in an odd phase, with multiple attacking pieces just reaching their best, and others that need moving around. The presumptive decline of Kevin De Bruyne – something the rest of the Premier League will hope comes soon – will require a shuffle in the Cityzens' attacking corps. Savio might feel that he has a chance to break into the side amid the chaos.
(C)Getty ImagesSo many obstacles to overcome
Still, for all of the possible points of excitement, there are equal reasons why Savio might just be making the wrong move.
It all starts with the immense competition at the club. City are a shallower squad than in recent years after Cole Palmer and Riyad Mahrez left in the summer. But left-wing – Savio's preferred and best position – is undoubtedly the spot where Guardiola has the most options to call upon. Jeremy Doku has been somewhat inconsistent since arriving this summer, but Guardiola has made clear his infatuation with the Belgian international. Jack Grealish, too, seems to have finally found his groove in Manchester, and established himself as a key component of City's treble charge last season. Phil Foden, who has snuck his way to 13 goals and 10 assists in all competitions this year, can also operate out wide.
Guardiola also has a complicated history with new signings – and has no issues benching those he doesn't feel are good enough to break into his team. Kalvin Phillips, now on loan at West Ham after barely seeing the pitch for 18 months, knows the feeling all too well.
It is even more flagrant for young players in the CFG system. A slew of bright talents brought to Manchester have seen their career growth stunted, stuck in the system. Filip Stevanovic, now on loan at Eredivisie side RKC Waalwijk, was regarded as a top prospect when brought in as a teenager. The same goes for Dario Sarmiento, back at City after failing to impress at Girona, Patrick Roberts (Sunderland), Ante Palaversa (Troyes) and Diego Rosa (Belgian second-division side Lommel.) Only Yan Couto, a key part of Girona's title push this year, has avoided the status of 'City Group flop'. Savio, no matter how good he is now, could be next.