Manchester City have secured the signing of Brazilian winger Savinho from French club Troyes on a contract running until 2029, in a deal worth 40 million euros (£30.8m).
The 20-year-old, who had an impressive loan spell at Girona last season, helping them finish third in La Liga, joins City Football Group, which includes both Girona and Troyes.
Savinho expressed his enthusiasm for joining the Premier League champions, calling them the “best team in the world” and expressing excitement to work under manager Pep Guardiola, whom he described as “one of the greatest coaches ever.”
Explaining his decision, Savinho said: “[Because of] everything I’ve seen today. I just got here this morning and I turned to my agent and stepfather and said, ‘there was no way I was going to turn down Manchester City’. I’m a Brazilian who likes to play on the front foot, to be happy, to play joyful football. I like playing one against one, making assists, scoring goals too, and helping the team. My main characteristic, what I like the most, is being happy and getting fans up off their seats.”
Savinho, also known as Savio, began his career at Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro before moving to Troyes in the summer of 2022. He did not feature competitively for the Ligue 2 side, spending the 2022-23 season on loan at PSV Eindhoven, where he made just eight appearances. However, his subsequent loan to Girona proved fruitful, with Savinho scoring 11 goals and providing 10 assists across all competitions, earning his first senior call-up for Brazil in March.
He made his debut against England and scored his first international goal against Paraguay during the Copa America group stage.
City’s director of football, Txiki Begiristain, expressed confidence in Savinho’s potential impact at the club, stating: “He has a big role to play for Manchester City this season and beyond. We are totally confident in his ability. He is still young and has the potential to become even better, and everyone knows that Pep is the best at helping players develop even further. But he has already shown his huge quality and technical ability and is an exciting addition to our attacking area.”