Tottenham to deal transfer blow to Chelsea as Savinho exit now 'likely' at Man City
Tottenham are involved in a transfer merry-go-round in the race for Manchester City's Savinho.
The Lilywhites had been interested in City midfielder James McAtee earlier in the summer, before interest cooled, and he now looks set to sign for Nottingham Forest.
Thomas Frank has more recently shown interest in Jack Grealish and Savinho as they look to strengthen their attack following Heung-Min Son's departure.
With negotiations for Savinho advancing, a deal could have a knock-on effect for London neighbours Chelsea.
Man City to target Xavi Simons as Savinho replacement
Grealish is set to join Everton on loan. As a result, Spurs are now expected to go all out for Savinho.
Therefore, Manchester City could need a replacement, and they look set to go after one of Chelsea's top targets. As reported by Sacha Tavolieri via X (11 August), due to "the likely departure of Savino", Manchester City have now entered the race for Xavi Simons, who continues to hold talks with Chelsea.
Frank's side had shown interest of their own in the Dutchman earlier this summer. However, with competition now from the Blues and City, and focus on Savinho, a move looks unlikely.
- A move for Grealish seems to be unreasonable for the Lilywhites, given their demands
- Frank now seems to have missed out on McAtee
- Pep Guardiola could now help facilitate a move for Savinho by signing Simons
It is thought that should City sell Savinho this summer, they would want a ready-made replacement.
Therefore, if Tottenham sign Savinho, it could also be a huge blow for Chelsea, which would delight supporters in North London.
How do Simons and Savinho compare?
Simons is one of the most highly sought-after youngsters in the world at the moment, but Savinho would be a cheaper and smarter option.
| Player | Games | Goals | Assists |
| Savinho | 48 | 3 | 13 |
| Simons | 43 | 10 | 15 |
The winger would be more of a like-for-like replacement for Son Heung-min, with Simons preferring to operate in the centre of the pitch.
Frank won't regret missing out on Savinho, and Tottenham will start to look a lot more like a top side should they land their targets.
Sign up for the daily Tottenham News newsletter on Substack and our new WhatsApp channel to have all the latest, breaking Tottenham Hotspur news sent straight to your phone.