"It is quite clear when the player wants to leave, then it is complicated to convince them to stay." Enzo Maresca said that after Tottenham moved close to Savinho and the winger’s exit became more than a summer rumour. The Savinho deal is set for a medical ahead of an £85m move from Manchester City to Tottenham, with £75m upfront and a further £10m in add-ons. City could receive at least £80m, since £5m of those bonuses are effectively guaranteed.

Maresca’s version of events

Maresca’s explanation was blunt in football terms. "Since day one, he has asked me that he wants to leave. So now we are waiting. But it's complicated." That lines up with the picture around the move, because Savinho was not a peripheral figure last season. He made 24 Premier League appearances, started 7 of them and finished with 1 goal and 2 assists.

Those numbers do not scream untouchable, and they do explain why City have been willing to listen. Maresca also said the same thing had happened with Rodri, while stressing that Omar Marmoush has not asked to leave yet. Omar Marmoush has scored 1 goal in 8 appearances this season, so City may be facing more than one attacking decision before the window closes.

Tottenham's spending and City's next move

Savinho would be another expensive addition to a summer in which Tottenham have already spent more than £200m on six first-team players. Roberto De Zerbi also said Spurs have not finished yet in the market, and that fits the scale of the move now being lined up. Their last Premier League season finished with 17th place and 41 points, so the recruitment push has been obvious for a while.

City, meanwhile, are not dealing with a one-player exit in isolation. Maresca said more options would be needed if players go out, and Sky Sports reporter Ben Ransom added that City would have to replace these players, with time tightening late in the window. The Savinho transfer now looks like a deal City have been living with all summer, and if Marmoush follows, the rebuild gets harder fast.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →