“An incredible player” – Pep Guardiola pinpoints how Savinho can fulfil Manchester City potential | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has explained how he believes Savinho can become a truly exceptional weapon in the club’s attacking front-line.

The 21-year-old has internally become one of City’s most exciting attacking prospects since joining Pep Guardiola’s squad during the 2024 summer transfer window, but things could have gone very differently for the player during the most recent such market.

The latest window was dominated by speculation around Savinho’s future, as Tottenham reportedly tabling bids in excess of €70 million, while the player has since responded with professionalism and focus, determined to cement his place in the starting line-up.

In recent weeks, Manchester City have rewarded that attitude by finalising a new long-term contract to keep him at the club until 2031, following rumours that the club’s CEO Ferran Soriano personally blocked the winger’s potential sale to North London during the summer.

That stance came amid the internal belief that Savinho’s ceiling within the game was too high to risk losing him – a lesson Manchester City learned the hard way after Cole Palmer’s breakout at Chelsea in light of a £40 million sale to Stamford Bridge in 2023.

Speaking during a recent press conference, Pep Guardiola was quizzed on Savinho’s immediate refocus on City duties following a hugely challenging summer for the Brazilian amid intense transfer speculation.

“Savio is a top player, he can play on both sides, he feels comfortable playing on both sides. And I said last season, being in the first season in the Premier League is not easy to play a lot of minutes,” Guardiola said.

The Catalan coach went on to explain, “Just the moment he makes this step to be a decisive player in terms of goals, assists, but especially goals, he will be a top class player. Top class. He needs to make that step.

“For example, against Everton, he had in the first minutes two chances one against one with the keeper. The moment he makes a step and makes goals and makes goals, and he has to do it because he has the quality to do it, we’ve seen in the training sessions, he will become.

“We are really pleased. He is so young, we cannot forget that; he is such a young player, early ages. I’m really pleased for him. In the last two games, he made an aggressive and courage to go one against one.”

Reflecting on the Brazilian’s recent performances, Pep Guardiola pointed out, “He made an assist for the second goal against Erling, the second goal against Bernardo [Silva] against Villarreal. Assist to Rico [Lewis] to make the cross, so he is involved in many things.

“Just make the encouragement to score. The moment he makes goals and goals, he has the chance to do it, Villarreal has another one, too, in the second half. So, he will become a really good player and Brazil, [Carlo] Ancelotti will have an incredible player for him.”

Savinho’s progression now appears to be central to Manchester City’s next phase of attacking evolution under Pep Guardiola.

With the club already securing long-term futures for key young talents such as Phil Foden, Rico Lewis, and Nico O’Reilly, Savinho’s contract renewal underlines his status as one of the cornerstones of the post-Guardiola generation.

In the short term, the focus will be on translating his flair and creativity into decisive numbers. If he can add a consistent goal threat to his game, Pep Guardiola’s prediction of “a top class player” may arrive sooner than many expect.