Tottenham receive frustrating update on Savinho as Man City take firm transfer stance

Tottenham Hotspur have been looking to wrap up a deal for Manchester City winger Savinho, but a frustrating twist has just been revealed.

There is one obvious weakness in the Tottenham first-team squad. This became all the more clear against Burnley, as Brennan Johnson had to play out of position, as a left winger. In fairness to the Wales international, he got on the scoresheet in the second half, but playing him on the left is still not ideal.

Spurs have already signed a left winger this summer in Mathys Tel. However, he had been on loan since January, so Spurs are technically no stronger in that position than last season. On top of this, Heung-min Son moved to LAFC, while Spurs opted not to sign Timo Werner on a permanent deal.

It looked as though Spurs would secure another attacking player to operate on the left flank and Savinho emerged as the top candidate. It was recently reported that Manchester City have told Pep Guardiola the club should cash in on Savinho. The Brazilian wants the move and he is not a nailed-on starter.

Savinho may no longer be allowed to leave Manchester City

The news that Man City were open to the prospect of offloading Savinho now appears to have been contradicted by one of the biggest football journalists out there.

Guillem Balague has claimed that City have decided Savinho is no longer for sale. This means Pep Guardiola’s men will not sign Rodrygo from Real Madrid, another player to have been linked with Tottenham this summer. The reason is that the LaLiga outfit were only likely to receive a bid if Savinho joined Spurs.

Manchester City hold the power in negotiations because Savinho was only signed last summer. The 21-year-old still has four years remaining on his contract, so even if he were to push for a move, his team have little reason to give in to his demands.

How would Tottenham mitigate failing to sign Savinho?

The obvious option for Spurs if Savinho remains in Manchester is to turn their attention to another left winger. However, the transfer window is almost over and securing a player of the required quality may not be so easy.

Eberechi Eze could join Tottenham and if he does, he has the capabilities to play on the left. Spurs could then look to play Dejan Kulusevski through the middle when he eventually returns from his injury. In the meantime, Pape Matar Sarr or Lucas Bergvall could start in the more attacking role.

Another solution is to change formation to adapt to the club’s needs. This could include having a strike partnership between the in-form Richarlison and Dominic Solanke. However, with Spurs competing in four competitions, this could leave them short in depth in the centre-forward position.

Ideally, Spurs need to be signing a new left winger and even if that is not Savinho, it has to be someone who can compete at the level of the Premier League and Champions League.

• READ MORE – Fabrizio Romano reveals latest update on Savinho as Tottenham plan new bid