Manchester City owners eye €50 million Corinthians wonderkid in attempt to replicate Savinho success story

The City Football Group are plotting to replicate the success story seen by Savinho within the portfolio as they look towards a new and emerging name in Brazil.

The now-Etihad star and Brazil international was initially recruited by the City Football Group during the summer transfer window of 2022, bringing the talent into European football from Atlético Mineiro in a €12.5 million total package including performance-related variables.

Upon arriving in Europe, Savinho was assigned by the City Group to French Ligue 1 side ESTAC Troyes, before being loaned out to PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie having not made a single appearance in France.

The following summer would see Savinho once again kept away from Troyes by joining fellow CFG club Girona for the 2023/24 season, where the then 19-year-old would go on to offer 11 goals and 10 assists whilst inspiring the club to UEFA Champions League qualification.

It was those performances at Girona that would ultimately see Manchester City come calling, issuing a transfer fee in the region of £30 million for the winger, and integrating him into Pep Guardiola’s first-team immediately for the ongoing campaign to great success.

And the City Football Group have been inspired to follow that success story, as they go in search of the ‘next Savinho’ by bringing a talent into their portfolio of clubs, with the sole aim of developing them towards the reigning Premier League champions.

According to the information of AS, as translated and relayed by Sport Witness, Manchester City and the City Football Group are now looking to replicate the formula executed through Savinho with Corinthians’ young prospect, Luiz Gustavo Bahia.

Having made a string of appearances for the club’s Under-20 side, the report states that the 18-year-old is set to make the step up into the senior squad for the weekend’s clash against Vitória as the CFG monitor him with close attention.

The plan from the City Group would be to take Bahia to one of the clubs within the portfolio, with the ultimate aim of the player ‘taking big step towards’ Manchester City in the future. At present, the teenager is contracted at Corinthians until 2027 with a €50 million release clause.

Luiz Gustavo Bahia first arrived at Corinthians at the age of just 12, and went on to gain prominence particularly through playing in the under-17 category across 2023, earning him a place in Brazil’s under-17 team and winning South American title.

It would be the latest of many South American signings for Manchester City, who are awaiting the arrival of Claudio Echeverri from River Plate in January, having reached an agreement for the Argentine playmaker last January.

The Olympic-starring midfielder has remained on loan with River Plate until the turn of the year, and despite the best attempts of the Argentine club to extend his stay, it seems as though Manchester City are insistent on integrating the player for the second-half of the season.