Manchester City secured the exciting signing of Brazilian winger Savinho from Troyes, a club also owned by the City Football Group, and the youngster looks primed to become a major star.
Back in the day, Sir Alex Ferguson used the term “twisted blood” to describe how defenders felt trying to keep up with Ryan Giggs. On Wednesday night, Sparta Prague’s Matej Rynes likely felt the same as he struggled—and failed—to contain the electrifying Savinho.
Trying to defend against Savinho is like trying to pin down quicksilver. He darted in every direction on City’s right wing, constantly keeping Sparta’s backline on edge. Full of energy, Savinho never gave up on a ball, quickly tracking down Angelo Preciado after losing possession to reclaim it within moments. He danced past Rynes and delivered a cross from the byline, only to see Sparta’s goalkeeper, Peter Vindahl, smother it.
Later, after a pass from Rico Lewis, Savinho cut inside but dragged his left-footed effort wide. Despite that, he made his mark by setting up Erling Haaland’s jaw-dropping backheel goal, as City’s relentless attack eventually tore Sparta apart.
For Rynes, the only answer to stopping Savinho was to foul him, in what became a long and frustrating night for the Czech defender. Savinho has drawn comparisons to former City winger Riyad Mahrez, and he’s quickly becoming a standout talent for the City Football Group.
After signing with City’s French affiliate Troyes in 2022 from Atletico Mineiro, Savinho spent time on loan at PSV Eindhoven. Although injuries hampered his stint there, he found his form at Girona, City’s Spanish sister club, where he scored nine goals and contributed 10 assists, helping the club to a surprise third-place finish last season.
Unsurprisingly, Savinho’s performances caught the attention of Manchester City, who brought him to the Etihad for £30.8 million. While securing a spot in City’s star-studded attack is no easy task, Savinho has the potential to make the right-wing position his own in the coming seasons.
