Tottenham have signed the Manchester City winger for £85 million — and his first order of business is a rebrand. He's Savio now. Not Savinho. It'll be on the back of his shirt.
The full name is Savio Moreira de Oliveira, and the 22-year-old Brazilian wants his preferred version to stick as he starts fresh at Spurs. Fine by him. A £85 million price tag — £75 million guaranteed, £10 million in add-ons — buys you the right to pick your own name on your own jersey.
De Zerbi's fingerprints are all over this one
What stands out here isn't just the fee. It's how quickly Roberto De Zerbi clearly sold him on the move. "As soon as I spoke to the Head Coach I knew I had to come," Savio said. That's not contractual obligation talking — that's a player genuinely bought in on a project.
De Zerbi described him as someone who "brings energy, imagination and quality in wide positions" with "the courage to attack defenders." Which is exactly the kind of profile De Zerbi's system rewards — wide players who go at people, who take risks, who make things happen rather than circulate possession politely.
At Man City, Savio showed flashes of that. But he was always operating within Pep Guardiola's rigid structure, on a squad stacked with options. At Spurs, wearing the number 17, he gets a different kind of brief — a coach who wants personality on the ball, not just positional discipline.
What this means for Spurs' attacking picture
Tottenham's wide play has been inconsistent for too long. Savio, at his best, changes that — he's direct, he creates in tight spaces, and he's still only 22. The ceiling is genuinely open.
Sporting director Johan Lange said the winger had "been on our radar for a while," which tracks — this isn't a panic buy or a squad-filler. It's a calculated piece of a rebuild. Spurs' attacking odds for 2025-26 look meaningfully different with a player of this profile in behind.
Whether the work permit clears quickly enough for a fast start remains the only logistical wrinkle. But the intent from all parties is clear. Savio wants to be here. De Zerbi wants to develop him. And Tottenham spent £85 million to make it happen.
