Savinho's Illness Complicates Tottenham's Pursuit Amid Manchester City Plans

Enzo Maresca’s plans for his first piece of silverware as Manchester City manager have hit an untimely snag.

Savinho, the 22-year-old winger who has lit up pre-season, missed City’s latest training session ahead of the Community Shield showdown with Arsenal at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. According to The Athletic’s Sam Lee, the Brazilian sat out due to illness, raising real doubt over his involvement in Sunday’s curtain-raiser.

While Savinho stayed away, some familiar faces stepped back into the frame at the City Football Academy.

Jack Grealish trained as he chases his first appearance for the club in over a year after a long, stuttering battle with injury. Erling Haaland was out there too, alongside Jeremy Doku and January signing Marc Guehi, all pushing to convince Maresca they should start against Mikel Arteta’s side.

The Savinho situation, though, carries a twist that stretches far beyond Cardiff.

At the very moment he’s missing training, Tottenham are circling. Roberto De Zerbi is closing in on his main attacking target, with Spurs understood to be nearing a full agreement for the £60 million-rated forward. The interest from north London has been intense, and the timing of his absence will only sharpen the speculation.

Tottenham’s intent this summer has been impossible to ignore. After back-to-back 17th-place finishes in the Premier League, the club has thrown itself into a rebuild aimed at dragging them back toward the top end of the table.

They started by tearing into the defensive department. Martin Dubravka, Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke have all come through the door, giving De Zerbi a completely reshaped back line to work with.

Then came the real statement.

In midfield, Spurs went big. A combined £185 million on Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes underlined a recruitment strategy built on bold strokes rather than half measures. The spine has been reinforced; now the gaze has shifted to the final third.

To push ahead with a move for Savinho, Tottenham are clearing space and raising funds. Cristian Romero is close to joining Atletico Madrid, while Djed Spence is on the verge of a switch to Inter. Those exits are designed to create the financial room required to seriously test City’s resolve.

That, though, is where it gets complicated. The Etihad hierarchy are unlikely to roll over for a direct Premier League rival, especially without a replacement lined up. City know Savinho’s value, both now and in the seasons to come.

Spurs have prepared for that scenario.

If prising Savinho away proves too difficult, they have already drawn up alternatives. High on that list is Cody Gakpo. The Liverpool forward is greatly admired at Hotspur Way, seen as another elite option who can slot into De Zerbi’s attacking blueprint.

Landing him, however, looks even more complex. Journalist Ben Jacobs has reported that Liverpool are reluctant to let Gakpo go unless they can bring in multiple attacking reinforcements first. With time running down in the window, that’s a tall order.

So Tottenham keep pushing, one last piece still missing from their attacking puzzle.

The deadline is looming. De Zerbi wants his front line settled. Whether it’s Savinho stepping out in lilywhite or a late pivot to Gakpo, Spurs have made one thing clear: this rebuild will not stop short of the final third.