Tottenham Close in on Savinho as City Targets Mbaye
Tottenham Hotspur are moving into the final stages of a deal for Manchester City winger Savinho, with the Premier League champions already plotting their response in the market.
Spurs first pushed hard for the Brazilian last summer, even indicating a willingness to go as high as £60million. City refused to bite. Savinho was considered too important, too full of upside, and the door was shut.
Behind the scenes, City had explored the idea of replacing him with another Brazilian, Real Madrid’s Rodrygo, but that ambitious plan never advanced. Neither move happened, and the status quo held.
Savinho’s own situation seemed settled when he signed a new six-year contract at the Etihad. The 22-year-old had grown frustrated with his minutes under Pep Guardiola and had been keen on a switch to north London, where he believed he could become a central figure. The long-term deal looked like the end of that story.
It wasn’t.
Tottenham quietly came back. Over recent months, their interest has hardened into a clear intention to buy, with Savinho again open to the move and ready to agree personal terms.
On Thursday, transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano underlined just how focused Spurs are on the City winger. Reports linking Ange Postecoglou’s side with Napoli youngster Antonio Vergara were dismissed outright.
“Vergara is not a target for Tottenham,” Romano said, stressing that the Italian is instead signing a new deal at Napoli with a pay rise attached. The message was clear: the winger Tottenham want is Savinho, and only Savinho.
Now, according to the Daily Mail’s Simon Jones, Spurs are edging close to getting their man. The fee, he reports, will be around £65m, with City already moving to reshape their attacking options.
City’s answer? Ibrahim Mbaye.
The 18-year-old Paris Saint-Germain winger, who caught the eye with Senegal at the World Cup, is attracting interest from several major clubs. Jones lists Manchester City, Aston Villa, Tottenham and RB Leipzig among those monitoring his situation as he prepares to leave the French champions in search of regular senior football. Mbaye is now represented by Jorge Mendes, a detail that underlines the scale of the project being built around him.
City, Jones writes, are “looking for wingers as they close the sale of Savinho to Tottenham for around £65million.” Their long-standing admiration for Rodrygo remains on record after last year’s enquiry to Real Madrid, but they are considering a range of options, with Mbaye one of the most intriguing.
Spurs make their choice on the flanks
If Jones’ information holds, Tottenham have effectively raised their bid from last summer’s £60m to £65m and are now in position to complete the transfer. With Savinho keen on the move and personal terms not expected to be a stumbling block, the deal has the feel of one that can move quickly once the final details between the clubs are agreed.
Tottenham have not been short of alternatives. Cody Gakpo and Rafael Leao have both been discussed as potential additions for the wide positions.
Liverpool, though, shut down any prospect of Gakpo leaving on Wednesday. Rather than cashing in, they want to strengthen their wide options, not weaken them.
Leao, meanwhile, is a different kind of statement. On July 5, it emerged that the AC Milan star had given the green light to a possible move to Spurs in a deal worth around €50m (£42m). For many clubs, that would be a dream scenario: a Champions League-level winger, open to the project, at a fee below the Savinho package.
Tottenham’s stance is telling. With Leao apparently on board, they still appear to be prioritising Savinho.
It is a bold call. A £65m swing on a 22-year-old who has pushed for more responsibility and believes he can find it in north London. A winger City were once determined not to lose, now being cashed in as they pivot towards the next wave of talent.
If Spurs get this right, they are not just signing a winger. They are nailing down the profile of their future attack.
