Savinho compared against Tottenham wingers as talks opened for Man City transfer
Tottenham have opened negotiations with Manchester City over a possible move for winger Savinho.
The Brazilian is said to be open to the move if the clubs can agree on a fee.
Savinho officially joined Manchester City last summer from Ligue 1 club Troyes, after a strong season on loan at Girona in La Liga.
Thomas Frank has identified the 21-year-old as an ideal signing to bolster his attack this summer, with Spurs looking to add to the £55million signing of Mohammed Kudus from West Ham.
How does Savinho stack up against Brennan Johnson?
Savinho impressed massively in La Liga, scoring nine goals and providing 10 assists for Girona as they finished in a historic third place.
And many of those talents transferred over to the Premier League, even despite the winger struggling for game time at times.
Compared to Spurs’ best performer in wide areas last season, Brennan Johnson, the difference is stark.
Key takeaways:
- Creatively excellent: There is little comparison when it comes to the creative numbers between Johnson and Savinho; the Brazilian outweighs the Welshman massively when it comes to key passes and assists.
- On the ball and off the ball: Savinho’s high ranking among progressive carries indicates his tendency to get on the ball and take on his man, compared to Johnson’s, to move off the ball and get in the box.
- Not a goal scorer: The one area in which Johnson massively outperforms Savinho is in their non-penalty goals, with the Spurs man scoring 18 across all competitions to the Brazilian’s three last season.
The stats indicate two very different players who could actually be partnered very well together.
Savinho featured predominantly in Johnson’s preferred position of right-wing last season, but is also more than capable of playing on the left, having played almost exclusively there at Girona.
Should the two be deployed on either side of Dominic Solanke, Spurs could see many a situation in which it is the Brazilian creating opportunities for the Welshman.
That is to leave out Kudus, but following the anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered by James Maddison, the Ghanaian could well be selected in the middle of the pitch.
Savinho could be favoured to Kudus inside for Frank
Alternatively, it could well be Savinho who plays on the inside for Spurs, with Kudus favoured on the wing instead.
On paper, each player’s stats would suggest the roles may fit them better.
Savio bested Kudus last season for progressive carries and shot-creating actions, also attempting far more passes every single game, with more of them being registered as key.
| Premier League 2024/25 (per 90) | Savinho | Kudus |
| Shot-creating actions | 5.15 | 3.72 |
| Key passes | 2.15 | 1.08 |
| Progressive carries | 6.61 | 3.41 |
| Take-ons attempted | 5.84 | 7.23 |
| Successful take-ons | 2.69 | 3.20 |
| Fouls drawn | 1.31 | 2.22 |
The former West Ham man recorded more take-ons attempted and achieved, and drew more fouls per game.
The middle of the pitch would appear an unnatural position for Savinho, but the Brazilian’s skillset could work for Frank if he is given the freedom to move fluidly throughout the Spurs attack.
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