Manchester City beat five European clubs including Borussia Dortmund and Brighton in £33.6 million transfer

Premier League champions Manchester City defeated competition from up to five European clubs earlier this summer when they completed a deal for Savinho.

The Brazil international completed a move to the Etihad Stadium earlier this summer, appearing on the Premier League champions’ radar off the back of a stellar individual season on loan at Girona from Troyes.

With a number of clubs from across the European game monitoring his performances during the La Liga run-in last campaign, Manchester City felt it necessary to act quickly in order to secure the services of the winger.

In a deal worth an initial £21 million, rising to a maximum of £33.6 million, Savinho joined Manchester City from Troyes, highlighting the success story of the City Football Group and the organisation’s ability to develop players from across the globe into the first-team squad.

But that successful pursuit of the 20-year-old forward did not come without widespread competition from a number of clubs throughout European football, as a new report detailed the Premier League champions’ road to the player’s signing.

According to the information of journalist Rômulo Giacomin, the City Group have always seen now-Brazilian international Savinho as ‘having the potential’ to reach Manchester City at some stage in his top-level playing career, with the Etihad Stadium being ‘the objective’.

In joining Manchester City from Troyes earlier this summer, it is also revealed that the Premier League champions fended away competition from all of Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Brighton & Hove Albion, Everton and Bayer Leverkusen.

But the chase for Savinho is certainly nothing new, with the report also detailing that the City Group first had their eye on the rising attacking talent during his time with Brazil’s under-15 international team.

In fact, such was the interest in recruiting the player into the City Football Group ecosystem that it is revealed that first contacts for a transfer negotiation took place when ‘Sávio’ was with Atlético-MG in 2021.

Savinho has already made his Manchester City debut in competitive football this season, appearing during the second-half of the club’s eventual FA Community Shield penalty shoot-out victory over rivals Manchester United.

In a bright spell against Erik ten Hag’s side, Savinho found himself starting his second-half appearance on the left of a front-three, taking set-pieces, as well as drifting into the right-wing role that would see him play a role in Manchester City’s equaliser late in the contest.

Picking up the ball on the right, Savinho found a pass into Oscar Bobb, who would cross the ball into the penalty area to find the head of Bernardo Silva, taking the game into a series of spot-kicks that would see City emerge victorious to claim the first trophy of the season.