City have reportedly placed a huge €100m (£86m) valuation on Savinho as Tottenham continue their pursuit of the Brazilian winger.
Savinho’s future has developed into one of City’s longest-running transfer stories of the summer, with Spurs refusing to abandon their interest despite the substantial sums involved.
The latest reports suggest they will have to go considerably higher than initially anticipated to get their man.
FootballTransfers reported on Wednesday that Tottenham have been told to pay €100m to sign the 22-year-old, a figure broadly consistent with separate reporting from The Times that a deal, once reported as £60m, could ultimately cost Spurs around £85m.
Man City hold firm over Savinho
Tottenham’s interest is not new.
The Times reported in July that Spurs were working on a deal worth more than £60m with add-ons after Savinho indicated that he wanted to leave City.
The numbers being reported now are significantly higher.
City’s position is strengthened by Savinho’s contract situation and by the fact that they do not need to sell cheaply. Any departure would also leave Enzo Maresca requiring another option in the wide areas.
Pedro Neto has already emerged as one potential replacement, although Chelsea’s own valuation of the Portugal international is reported to be close to £100m.
That leaves City with an important decision to make in the closing stages of the window.
Savinho could command a substantial fee and Tottenham’s interest has clearly not disappeared, but selling him would create another vacancy in a squad that has already undergone considerable change this summer.
For now, City’s reported €100m valuation puts the pressure firmly back on Spurs.
If they want Savinho, they may have to make one of the biggest deals of the summer to get him.
For info on this and other City transfer deals, take a look at our live tracker.
