Fabrizio Romano, an expert in transfer news, has disclosed that Manchester City has reached a preliminary agreement to acquire Savio from Troyes, another club within the City Football Group. Romano stated that despite receiving lucrative offers from English and German clubs, the Cityzens opted to reject them in order to bring the winger to the Etihad Stadium.
The City Football Group encompasses a total of 13 clubs, including partner club Club Bolivar. Manchester City, last season’s Treble winners, are joined by New York City, Melbourne City, Yokohama Marinos, Montevideo City Torque, Girona FC, Sichuan Jiuniu, Mumbai City FC, Lommel SK, Troyes, Palermo, and Bahia under this umbrella.
Every player within the City-owned soccer teams aspires to eventually play for the flagship club, Manchester City. According to Romano, Savio, currently on loan at Girona, will have the opportunity to do so next season.
In his Daily Briefing column, Romano revealed the following (via CaughtOffside):
“Manchester City have reached an agreement for the signing of Brazilian winger Savio, who has been one of the best young talents in Europe this season. This is a testament to the excellent work carried out by the City Football Group. Savio was initially signed by Troyes and subsequently loaned out to Girona, and now he will be the first signing for Man City next season.
“The agreement has been finalized, although it is not a conventional deal since all the clubs are part of the same group. City also had the opportunity to sell Savio for a substantial sum, around €35-40m, as there were proposals from English and German clubs, although I am unable to disclose specific names at this time. There were significant bids on the table, but now there is an agreement for Savio to join Man City next season, and he has already accepted the move.”
After failing to make a single appearance for Troyes’ first team, Savio joined Girona on a season-long loan at the beginning of the 2023-24 season. The left-winger has proven his value to the Catalan side, becoming a key player under manager Michel.
Since the start of the 2023-24 season, the speedy Brazilian has participated in 23 La Liga matches for the club, scoring five goals and providing seven assists. His contributions have been vital to Girona’s remarkable title challenge this season. Additionally, the 19-year-old has demonstrated his abilities in the Copa del Rey, scoring twice in four appearances.