Transfer Centre

Manchester City 'to complete Savio signing by end of February'

By Oliver Thomas, Senior Reporter | 06 February 2024

Man City 'to complete Savio signing by end of February'

Manchester City will reportedly complete the signing of Brazilian winger Savio - currently on loan at Girona - by the end of February.

Manchester City will reportedly complete the signing of Brazilian winger Savio by the end of February.

The 19-year-old is currently on loan at sister club Girona from French side Troyes, another member of City Football Group, and has elevated his game to new heights in the Spanish top flight this season.

Indeed, Savio – also known as Savinho – has scored five goals and registered seven assists in 23 La Liga appearances for surprise title contenders Girona, who sit just two points behind leaders Real Madrid.

The winger has also chipped in with two goals in four Copa del Rey appearances this term, most recently netting in a 3-2 defeat to Mallorca in the quarter-finals.

Savio is under contract at Troyes until June 2027, but the Brazilian admitted at the end of last year that Man City 'will want him' in the future if he continues to perform well at Girona.

Girona's Savio pictured on September 30, 2023 © Reuters

According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Man City have already set the wheels in motion to lure Savio to the Etihad Stadium as they have reached an agreement with Troyes to sign the winger on a permanent deal this summer.

Romano has provided a further update, stating that the Citizens 'will complete' the signing of the highly-rated teenager by the end of February, with the necessary documents already being prepared between the two clubs.

Savio is set to link up with Pep Guardiola's first-team squad in July when he will begin pre-season with his new Man City teammates ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.

The fee that Man City have agreed with Troyes to sign Savio remains unknown, but Romano claims that other Premier League and Bundesliga clubs have previously been keen to discuss a possible €30m proposal to recruit the winger.

Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola on January 26, 2024 © Reuters

Prior to joining Troyes, Savio began his career in his native Brazil with Atletico Mineiro where he made 35 first-team appearances, including his senior debut as a 16-year-old in September 2020.

City Football Group then recruited Savio for a reported €6.5m (£5.5m) in the summer of 2022 and assigned the winger to Troyes before immediately loaning him out to Dutch outfit PSV Eindhoven for the 2022-23 season.

Savio alternated between the first team and Under-21s side at PSV, contributing with two goals and four assists in a total of 17 appearances.

At Girona, the Brazil Under-20 international has primarily operated as a left-winger, where Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku have featured for Man City so far this season.

Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva are two more wide options at Guardiola's disposal, although the latter has been persistently linked with a possible exit from the Etihad in search of a fresh challenge.