With Manchester City reportedly signing Sávio for many millions, there’s now an ongoing debate at Atlético Mineiro about whether they sold him for too little.
It was in 2022 that the Brazilian side negotiated the player’s transfer with City Group’s club Troyes, with the player ending up being bought for just €6.5m at the time.
Former Atlético director Rodrigo Caetano, who’s now joining the national team, is now quoted by Itatiaia talking about that deal.
The club chief tried to explain why Savinho moved for so little two years ago, while everyone is now watching him joining Manchester City in a big deal.
“As far as negotiations are concerned, I would really like the fans and you to understand that this side will always try to get the best situation. But you have to agree with those who want to pay. At the time, nobody negotiated Savinho in such a way as to be satisfied with the price. It wasn’t the price that was being discussed. We wanted him to stay longer. It was his time to blossom,” said Caetano.
“Unfortunately, the club were facing huge difficulties. So it’s that story: when you don’t need to sell, the price goes up. If you need to get rid of something out of necessity, the price goes up. These are different moments. You can’t separate Savinho’s case from the context. They do, because it’s interesting. But let’s hope that this second transfer brings in another resource.”
Reports from the European media have been claiming that Manchester City are paying Troyes €40m for Savinho, although some claims from Brazil said the amount is more between €20m and €30m.
Either way, it’s no secret that Pep Guardiola’s side are getting a discount as both clubs are part of the City Group, so there’s the feeling the winger could be worth even more.
Manchester City are still to confirm the operation, although several media outlets take the summer transfer as already being done.
