Adrian Clarke analyses the key summer signings and the impact they could make at their new clubs in the Premier League this season.
Player analysis - Savinho (Manchester City)
Off the back of a title-winning campaign in which they scored 96 Premier League goals, Manchester City are clearly determined not to rest on their laurels.
Pep Guardiola’s recruitment of Brazil international Savinho is one of the most eye-catching moves of the summer so far.
The 20-year-old winger is understandably viewed as one of European football’s brightest young prospects after lighting up LaLiga with a string of exciting and influential performances for Girona last season.
What type of player is he?
Savinho is a left-footed wide man who travels with the ball at extraordinary speed.
Whenever he receives a pass, his first thought is usually to try and skip past his marker to make something happen.
The Brazilian is blessed with incredible acceleration and can break the lines anywhere on the pitch, before carrying the ball forward with purpose.
He can operate centrally or on the right wing, but Girona primarily deployed Savinho on the left, where he was outstanding.
Savinho's positions for Girona 2023/24
| Position | Matches | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Left-side attacking midfielder | 27 | 5 | 6 |
| Central attacking midfielder | 6 | 3 | 1 |
| Right-side attacking midfielder | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Substitute | 2 | 0 | 1 |
Savinho loves to put opponents onto the back foot, which meant that he produced more progressive ball carries than anyone else in LaLiga last season, as identified in this Opta map below, where he produced 201 long, progressive carries.
Most occurred down the left, but occasionally Savinho also drove down the centre or across the pitch with powerful diagonal runs.
Whenever he sees a 1v1 he rarely turns down the opportunity to take someone on.
This trait will add directness to Man City’s play and quicken up their ability to hurt opponents on the break.
Opponents who sit deep may also get undone by his sheer pace in 1v1s.
Last season’s stats
Spanish football boasts many gifted dribblers, but no one else in LaLiga produced better end product from ball carries than Savinho.
He was ranked above the likes of Vinicius Junior and Nico Williams for goals and assists from runs with the ball, scoring five and assisting five.
LaLiga players most goals or assists after ball carries
| Player | Goals | Assists | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Savinho | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| Vinicius Jr. | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| Nico Williams | 1 | 7 | 8 |
| Rodrygo | 4 | 3 | 7 |
There is no question that Savinho is a special talent, who was selected for the LaLiga Team of the Season at the end of a campaign he started as a teenager.
His numbers were astonishingly good, ranking inside the division’s top two in multiple categories as he played a key role in Girona’s unexpected third-placed finish.
Savinho's attacking stats 2023/24
| Statistic | Total | LaLiga rank |
|---|---|---|
| Successful take-ons | 104 | 1st |
| Progressive carries | 181 | 1st |
| Goal-creating actions | 25 | 1st |
| Expected assists | 9.9 | 1st |
| Passes into penalty area | 60 | 2nd |
| Progressive carrying distance | 5124m | 2nd |
*Stats from FBref
Why has Pep brought him in?
Guardiola already has a wealth of options in wide areas, but Savinho’s electrifying speed and fearlessness were too appealing to ignore.
After Savinho joined this month, the Man City boss explained his decision, saying: “His impact at Girona was absolutely amazing. He can play on the wing, and when he is one-v-one, he is devastating. He is young and to bring in one or two players to keep things fresh, it is necessary.”
See: Guardiola on Savinho
Guardiola will certainly expect Savinho to supply quality service into Erling Haaland, replicating the type of goals he made for Girona’s frontmen.
After driving past right-backs on the outside, Savinho floated a series of inviting left-foot crosses towards the far post, which were converted by team-mates.
Haaland loves to peel towards those areas inside the area and is nearly unstoppable when excellent crosses are hung up for him to attack.
This assist map for Savinho shows that seven of the 10 goals he provided came from left-wing crosses.
Five of those were aimed towards the far post, so if he hits the same areas for City, Haaland can expect to profit greatly.
How does he compare to City’s wide men?
The closest match to City’s existing winger options is Jeremy Doku, who can also play on either flank.
Savinho is more direct than the Belgian, but both men love to go beyond defenders with the ball at their feet.
The prospect of Doku and Savinho sometimes working in tandem on either side of Haaland is an exciting prospect for City supporters.
Jack Grealish offers more assurance and craft in possession than his principal rivals for a left-wing berth, but to start a greater number of matches in 2024/25 he must improve the penetration he sometimes lacks.
Savinho v City wingers 2023/24
| Savinho | Doku | Grealish | |
| Minutes | 2,992 | 1,596 | 1,004 |
| Goals & assists | 19 | 11 | 4 |
| Chance-creating ball carries | 44 | 61 | 31 |
| Succ. take-ons | 104 | 87 | 18 |
| Progressive carrying distance (m) | 5,124 | 4,884 | 2,080 |
| Passes into area | 60 | 40 | 25 |
| Savinho | Foden | B.Silva | |
| Minutes | 2,992 | 2,869 | 2,582 |
| Goals & assists | 19 | 27 | 15 |
| Chance-creating ball carries | 44 | 60 | 25 |
| Succ. take-ons | 104 | 47 | 38 |
| Progressive carrying distance (m) | 5,124 | 3,434 | 4,544 |
| Passes into area | 60 | 57 | 49 |
There was no urgent need to bring in a player like Savinho, but with his scope for even more development in the next few seasons it is easy to understand why City made their move.
The youngster was deemed good enough to make four appearances for Brazil at the recent Copa America, so expect him to enjoy plenty of game time at the Etihad this season.
