“He must have some serious talent” – Jack Grealish welcomes newest Manchester City signing

Manchester City forward Jack Grealish has offered a glowing review of the club’s newest recruit, Savinho both as a footballer and as a person this week.

The Premier League champions moved swiftly following the turn of the year to ensure that the future of the Brazil international landed in their hands, in light of an exceptional breakthrough campaign in European football.

Having first made the move to Europe by joining City Football Group and being allocated to Troyes, Savinho spent a season on loan at PSV Eindhoven, before joining Girona for the 2023/24 campaign and providing performances to inspire a UEFA Champions League place.

As such, Manchester City deemed it necessary to spend an initial £21 million fee on the 20-year-old, in a deal that could rise to as high as £33.6 million, in a valuation that was deemed as acceptable within Premier League fair value assessments.

Savinho is expected to link-up with his new Manchester City teammates on Monday, having arrived in England earlier this week and settling in to his new city centre apartment with his wife.

Speaking after Manchester City’s 2-2 draw and subsequent defeat on penalties to Barcelona earlier this week, England forward Jack Grealish was quizzed on the imminent arrival of the club’s newest recruit, Savinho.

“No (I haven’t seen much of him at Girona),” Grealish told TNT Sports Brazil. “I obviously know that he had a great season last year, he was in the Brazil national team, so he must have some serious talent.”

The pair also met briefly at the City Football Academy earlier this month, prior to the club’s trip to the United States for pre-season, to which Grealish said, “I saw him and his family at the training ground a couple of weeks ago, he seemed like such a nice guy, very down to earth.

“I can’t wait for him to join us and to start playing with him.”

Jack Grealish and Savinho appear unlikely to challenge for the same position within Pep Guardiola’s starting line-ups this season, although the same was first thought during Jeremy Doku’s arrival at the club from Stade Rennes.

The Brazilian admitted during his first media activities with the Premier League champions that his preferred role is on the right of a front-three, but is not opposed to featuring on the left, or even through the middle.

Jeremy Doku was first signed by Manchester City as a right-sided forward, before it was very quickly realised that the Belgian star was most effective when deployed on the left and given license to express himself against opposition defenders.