# Sávio (footballer, born 2004)
**Sávio** (Sávio Moreira de Oliveira, born 2004) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Tottenham Hotspur and the Brazil national team. Known as "Savinho" during his spells at Manchester City and in his first senior Brazil call-up, he reverted to his original name, Sávio, when he joined [Tottenham](https://www.edgepedia.org/tottenham) in August 2026.[1](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/1087070/from-the-farmyard-to-premier-league-this-is-savios-story) • [2](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/aug/25/savinho-completes-spurs-move-manchester-city-changes-name-to-savio) He is left-footed and can operate on either flank.[3](https://www.fotmob.com/players/1174337/savio) • [1](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/1087070/from-the-farmyard-to-premier-league-this-is-savios-story)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Sávio Moreira de Oliveira, born 2004 in São Mateus, Brazil[4](https://www.bdfutbol.com/en/j/j30114.html) |
| Position | Winger, left-footed, able to play on either flank[3](https://www.fotmob.com/players/1174337/savio) • [1](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/1087070/from-the-farmyard-to-premier-league-this-is-savios-story) |
| Breakthrough season | 2023/24 on loan at Girona: 11 goals in 41 La Liga appearances, 104 dribbles (18 more than any other player in the league), third place and first-ever Champions League qualification for the club[5](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/player/510281/savinho/biography) |
| Manchester City | July 2024 to August 2026: 84 appearances, 7 goals, 2025/26 Carabao Cup and FA Cup double[6](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/1086712/savio-joins-from-manchester-city) |
| Tottenham transfer | Signed 25 August 2026 for a reported £75 million, a record sale for Manchester City, who had paid £30.8 million for him in 2024[2](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/aug/25/savinho-completes-spurs-move-manchester-city-changes-name-to-savio) |
| Brazil | Senior debut in March 2024 against England, a 1-0 win at Wembley Stadium; 13 caps and one goal; played at the 2024 Copa América[6](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/1086712/savio-joins-from-manchester-city) |
| Honors | Série A, Copa do Brasil, and three Campeonato Mineiro titles with Atlético Mineiro; KNVB Cup and Johan Cruyff Shield with PSV; FA Cup, EFL Cup, and Community Shield with Manchester City[7](https://www.fotmob.com/en-GB/players/1174337/savinho) |
## Early life and Atlético Mineiro
Sávio grew up on his family's cow farm in São Mateus, near the Brazilian east coast in [Espírito Santo](https://www.edgepedia.org/espirito-santo), where the household produced milk and staged rodeo shows. He has described a quiet rural childhood in which he learned to ride horses, milk cows, and plant vegetables on his grandparents' farm.[1](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/1087070/from-the-farmyard-to-premier-league-this-is-savios-story) He began playing organized football at about six years old, and a coach predicted a footballing career for him when he was five.[8](https://as.com/futbol/primera/savinho-el-nuevo-orei-de-primera-n/) • [1](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/1087070/from-the-farmyard-to-premier-league-this-is-savios-story)
**Move to Belo Horizonte.** After he impressed against Atlético Mineiro's Under-17s at age 11, the club signed him three years later, when he was 14, and he moved roughly an 11-hour drive from his family home. His mother, Dona Nilma, joined him in [Belo Horizonte](https://www.edgepedia.org/belo-horizonte) and lived with him until he turned 18.[1](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/1087070/from-the-farmyard-to-premier-league-this-is-savios-story)
He made his professional debut at 16 in August 2020, the youngest player to appear for Atlético Mineiro in the Brazilian league.[6](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/1086712/savio-joins-from-manchester-city) • [1](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/1087070/from-the-farmyard-to-premier-league-this-is-savios-story) In 2021 he won the Série A and Copa do Brasil double, part of a domestic treble campaign, and in May 2022, a month after his 18th birthday, he became the club's youngest goalscorer by netting against Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle in the [Copa Libertadores](https://www.edgepedia.org/copa-libertadores).[1](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/1087070/from-the-farmyard-to-premier-league-this-is-savios-story) Across two years in the first-team environment he played fewer than 1,000 senior minutes for the club, with 35 senior appearances and two goals.[1](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/1087070/from-the-farmyard-to-premier-league-this-is-savios-story) • [6](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/1086712/savio-joins-from-manchester-city)
## Troyes, PSV, and the Girona breakthrough
In 2022 the French club Troyes, part of the [City Football Group](https://www.edgepedia.org/city-football-group), signed him for a reported €6.5 million; Arsenal had also shown interest, but the City Group route appealed to him as a path to the Premier League.[8](https://as.com/futbol/primera/savinho-el-nuevo-orei-de-primera-n/) He never featured for Troyes, spending 2022/23 on loan at [PSV Eindhoven](https://www.edgepedia.org/psv-eindhoven), where he split time between the Under-21s and the first team, made a handful of [Eredivisie](https://www.edgepedia.org/eredivisie) and Europa League appearances, and collected winners' medals from the KNVB Cup and the Johan Cruyff Shield as an unused substitute in both finals.[1](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/1087070/from-the-farmyard-to-premier-league-this-is-savios-story) • [7](https://www.fotmob.com/en-GB/players/1174337/savinho) Injuries limited his playing time in the Netherlands, and he featured more for the reserves than the first team.[8](https://as.com/futbol/primera/savinho-el-nuevo-orei-de-primera-n/)
**Girona, 2023/24.** A second loan, to [La Liga](https://www.edgepedia.org/la-liga)'s Girona, produced his breakthrough. He scored 11 goals in 41 league appearances as Girona finished third, the club's highest-ever finish, and qualified for the [UEFA Champions League](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-champions-league) for the first time in its history.[5](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/player/510281/savinho/biography) He completed 104 dribbles, 18 more than any other player in La Liga that season.[5](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/player/510281/savinho/biography) Analysts noted his old-fashioned wide-play style: he led La Liga in open-play crosses after beating a defender one-on-one, with 15 such crosses, four more than any other player.[9](https://theanalyst.com/articles/what-savio-can-bring-manchester-city)
## Manchester City
In July 2024 Sávio moved to Manchester City for £30.8 million and made his debut in the [FA Community Shield](https://www.edgepedia.org/fa-community-shield) the following month, followed shortly by a Premier League debut; his first UEFA Champions League goal came in January 2025.[2](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/aug/25/savinho-completes-spurs-move-manchester-city-changes-name-to-savio) • [6](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/1086712/savio-joins-from-manchester-city) Over two seasons he made 84 appearances and scored 7 goals, and he was part of the squad that won both the Carabao Cup and the [FA Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fa-cup) in 2025/26.[6](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/1086712/savio-joins-from-manchester-city) His final league goal for the club came in a 3-0 win over Crystal Palace in May 2026.[1](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/1087070/from-the-farmyard-to-premier-league-this-is-savios-story)
## Tottenham Hotspur
After informing Manchester City in the summer of 2026 that he wanted to leave to play more, Sávio joined Tottenham Hotspur on 25 August 2026 for a reported £75 million, a record transfer sale for City.[2](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/aug/25/savinho-completes-spurs-move-manchester-city-changes-name-to-savio) At Spurs he took back his original name, Sávio, having adopted "Savinho", the nickname given to him by the national team at his first senior call-up, during his time at City.[1](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/1087070/from-the-farmyard-to-premier-league-this-is-savios-story) • [2](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/aug/25/savinho-completes-spurs-move-manchester-city-changes-name-to-savio)
He scored within 11 minutes of his debut, coming off the bench in a 5-1 Carabao Cup win over Charlton Athletic on 26 August 2026, and added an assist in the same match.[5](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/player/510281/savinho/biography) • [3](https://www.fotmob.com/players/1174337/savio) Head coach [Roberto De Zerbi](https://www.edgepedia.org/roberto-de-zerbi) described him as a player who brings "energy, imagination and quality in wide positions" with "the courage to attack defenders".[6](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/1086712/savio-joins-from-manchester-city)
## International career
Sávio represented Brazil from Under-16 through Under-20 level, including the 2023 South American U-20 Championship and the 2023 U-20 World Cup in Argentina, where he scored once and assisted three times in the group stage before Brazil lost to Israel in the quarter-finals.[1](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/1087070/from-the-farmyard-to-premier-league-this-is-savios-story) • [10](https://www.brazil-futebol.blog/?p=1925) He received his first senior call-up in March 2024 and debuted that month in a 1-0 win over England at [Wembley Stadium](https://www.edgepedia.org/wembley-stadium). He then played at the 2024 [Copa América](https://www.edgepedia.org/copa-america) and, as of his Tottenham transfer, had 13 caps and one goal for Brazil.[6](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/1086712/savio-joins-from-manchester-city)
## Style of play
Sávio is a fast, direct, left-footed winger who is strong in one-versus-one situations and can play on either wing.[1](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/1087070/from-the-farmyard-to-premier-league-this-is-savios-story) • [3](https://www.fotmob.com/players/1174337/savio) His 2023/24 numbers show a wide creator rather than a high-volume shooter: he led La Liga in completed dribbles and in crosses following one-on-one duels, and analysis of his Atlético Mineiro spell recorded averages of 4.04 passes to the penalty area and 6.75 forward passes per 90 minutes.[5](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/player/510281/savinho/biography) • [9](https://theanalyst.com/articles/what-savio-can-bring-manchester-city) • [11](https://totalfootballanalysis.com/article/savio-2022-scout-report-tactical-analysis-tactics) He is also a free-kick specialist.[8](https://as.com/futbol/primera/savinho-el-nuevo-orei-de-primera-n/)
## References
1. [From the farmyard to the Premier League: This is Sávio's story, Tottenham Hotspur](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/1087070/from-the-farmyard-to-premier-league-this-is-savios-story)
2. [Savinho seals £75m Spurs move from Manchester City – and changes name to Sávio, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/aug/25/savinho-completes-spurs-move-manchester-city-changes-name-to-savio)
3. [Sávio – stats, career and market value, FotMob](https://www.fotmob.com/players/1174337/savio)
4. [Savinho, Sávio Moreira de Oliveira, BDFutbol](https://www.bdfutbol.com/en/j/j30114.html)
5. [Sávio biography, Tottenham Hotspur](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/player/510281/savinho/biography)
6. [Sávio joins from Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur](https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/1086712/savio-joins-from-manchester-city)
7. [Sávio – stats, career and market value, FotMob (en-GB)](https://www.fotmob.com/en-GB/players/1174337/savinho)
8. [Savinho, el nuevo 'O Rei' de Primera, AS](https://as.com/futbol/primera/savinho-el-nuevo-orei-de-primera-n/)
9. [What Sávio Can Bring to Manchester City, Opta Analyst](https://theanalyst.com/articles/what-savio-can-bring-manchester-city)
10. [2004年生まれ：サーヴィオ（Sávio）〖サヴィーニョ（Savinho）〗, Brazil Futebol Blog](https://www.brazil-futebol.blog/?p=1925)
11. [Savinho Scout Report At Atlético Mineiro 2022, Total Football Analysis](https://totalfootballanalysis.com/article/savio-2022-scout-report-tactical-analysis-tactics)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of South America › Brazilian men's footballers › Contemporary Brazilian footballers › Brazilian footballers born in the 2000s*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license