Savinho is Manchester City’s first signing of the 2024 summer transfer window. Man City completed the transfer of Savinho from Troyes. The midfielder, born in 2004, signed a five-year contract with The Citizens, which runs until 2029.
Savinho’s transfer fee is €40 million, including €25 million upfront and €15 million in add-ons.
Who is Savinho?
Savinho’s real name is Sávio Moreira de Oliveira, born on April 10, 2004, in the rural area of Sao Mateus in southeastern Brazil.
He learned to ride horses from a young age and did farm work such as milking cows and growing vegetables like cabbage and tomatoes on his parents’ farm. Despite being skilled in farming, Saviho’s true passion was football.
He played on the beach before moving to street football. The scouting team of Atletico Mineiro soon discovered Saviho’s talent and invited him to join their youth team.
His mother, Dona Nilma, said, “His first coach predicted that the boy would become a football player.”
Savinho’s left foot dominated youth teams in Brazil. At 11 years old, he was promoted to play for the U17 team of Alex Mineiro and performed exceptionally well. Five years later, Savinho made his debut in the Brazilian Championship, becoming the youngest player to ever appear for Atletico.
At 18, Savinho became the youngest player to score for the black-and-white striped team with a goal against Independiente in the Copa Libertadores.
Journey to Man City
His rapid development earned him a contract with the City Football Group (CFG) in 2022, the organization that manages clubs like Man City, Girona, and Troyes.
Savinho joined the French third-tier team Troyes but did not get any playing time. He requested a move to PSV to gain more match experience. In the Dutch Eredivisie, he played 6 matches, completed 90 minutes, and managed to provide 2 assists. He returned to Troyes and was subsequently loaned out to Girona.
At Girona, he played well and helped the team secure a spot in the 2024/25 Champions League. Girona even led the La Liga standings for several weeks before being overtaken by Real Madrid. However, finishing third in La Liga was a remarkable achievement given the club’s resources.
Saviho played in 37 out of 38 matches for Girona last season, operating on the right wing. He scored 9 goals and provided 10 assists, forming a dangerous attacking trio with Artem Dovbyk and Viktor Tsyhankov.
Savinho – Dovbyk – Tsyhankov combined for 41 goals in La Liga 2023/24, just three goals short of the Vinicius – Bellingham – Rodrygo trio.
Savinho moved to Man City right after the season, inheriting the number 26 jersey from his childhood idol, Riyad Mahrez. The transfer process went smoothly, as Troyes (Saviho’s parent club), Girona, and Man City are all managed by CFG, with Sheikh Mansour, the chairman of The Citizens, at the helm.
At Man City, Savinho will play as a left winger, directly competing for a starting spot with Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish.