Manchester City are understood to have all but completed a deal taking Savio away from Girona this summer.
The Sky Blues have acted with the benefit of their multi-club partnership as part of the City Group, utilising a link to a fellow club asset.
Fabrizio Romano reported on X (formerly Twitter) that the 19-year-old attacker is closing in on a July switch with a ‘deal at signing stage now’.
🚨🔵 Sávio to Manchester City, exclusive story confirmed and here we go!
Understand Man City have all contracts ready for Savinho to join the club in July.
Deal at signing stage now, documents being reviewed and completed on all sides.
First signing for 24/25 season, done. 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/1mA9M505ne
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 13, 2024
The attacker has played a key part of Girona’s push for the La Liga title, registering 14 goal contributions in 28 games, with the club five points off Real Madrid at the summit.
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A worrying sign for football
Whilst we’re not opposed to partnerships, per se, that benefit both player and club, this new trend of multi-club ownership is surely a worry for the sport.
Spare a thought for Ligue 2’s Troyes who have virtually been used as a pawn in the process without getting any of the benefit (Savio has not played an official competitive fixture).
Whilst officials close to the City Group will argue they’re playing within the current rules, this vision of football is perhaps not quite what the rest of us imagined or bargained for.
What’s the goal? Does this serve football’s best interests?
Never mind Manchester City… would it still prove as appealing if the likes of, say, the PIF were to start snapping up multiple clubs to feed Newcastle United’s growth?
Is this the future of football? Empires as opposed to individual states with their own footballing identities separate from the ambitions and whims of an iron fist.
It’s not one we signed up for!