Savinho has now officially joined Tottenham Hotspur, in a £85 million ($116m) move from Manchester City. And this is one transfer deal that deserves blockbuster status for reasons beyond just the big budget fee. Spurs had been pursuing the Brazilian winger for a whole year, as they first tried to sign him in 2025. The Man City to Spurs switch also brings an official name change for the player.
Sávio Moreira de Oliveira is the 22-year-old forward’s full name, and he was known as Savinho at City. He will now be referred to as Sávio.
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Sávio will be the name printed in programs and on shirts. It’s the name you’ll see on the scoreboard now. Surplus to requirements at City, Savinho did not see a lot of playing time. At Spurs, Sávio should see an increased role.
“It’s taken a while but I’m very happy to be here,”
“Tottenham has everything. Sávio said in an official statement. “They have one of the best managers in the world. They have the best training ground in the world. They have the best stadium in the world.
Welcome to Tottenham, Sávio 🤍 pic.twitter.com/cluPZrKRHc
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) August 25, 2026
“Whenever I came to play against Tottenham here, I always told my representative about the club. When he said that the club was interested in me, I was very happy. As I said, I’ve always wanted to be here now.
“I want to reach the top with this club structure, in training, stadium and with one of the best coaches in the world, I think we can reach the top.”
The Sávio deal takes Spurs’ summer spending past the £300m ($408.9m) mark after they already acquired Sandro Tonali (£100m), Mateus Fernandes (£85m) and Jan Paul van Hecke (£52m).
So, if you’re using your calculator that’s £322m in total so far. It’s record-breaking, to say the least! Plus you also have the free agent signings of Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson and Martin Dúbravka this window. And we say “so far” because the North Londonders are likely not done either.
Striker Omar Marmoush is likely to follow Sávio’s lead, and make the move from the City attacking position group to White Hart Lane.
Additionally, Tottenham have also been linked to Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo.
Not sure how all these new forwards are going to fit in with each other; especially when you consider how Tottenham don’t have European football to contend with this season, so they don’t need a bigger sized squad.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.