Savinho's Absence and Tottenham's Pursuit of a New Attacker

Enzo Maresca’s plans for his first piece of Manchester City silverware have hit an early snag.

On the week City step up preparations for the Community Shield against Arsenal in Cardiff, Savinho was a notable absentee from training at the City Football Academy, with The Athletic’s Sam Lee reporting the Brazilian missed the session through illness. With the curtain-raiser at the Principality Stadium looming, his availability is suddenly in doubt.

While the 22-year-old stayed away, some familiar – and long-awaited – faces were back in the thick of it. Jack Grealish trained as he pushes to make his first competitive appearance for City in over a year after a torrid run with injuries. Erling Haaland and Jeremy Doku were also involved, along with January signing Marc Guehi, all jostling for starting roles against Mikel Arteta’s side this weekend.

Savinho in demand – and in the middle of a tug of war

The timing of Savinho’s absence adds another layer to an already intriguing story. Interest from north London has been fierce, with Roberto De Zerbi understood to be closing in on his top attacking target as Tottenham move towards a full agreement for the £60 million-rated winger.

Spurs are behaving like a club desperate to drag themselves out of the doldrums. After back-to-back 17th-place finishes in the Premier League, the rebuild has gone from gentle reset to full-scale overhaul. They have already reshaped their squad with major additions in midfield and defence; now the spotlight is firmly on the attack.

The strategy at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has been unapologetically bold. Early in the window, they tore into their defensive issues, bringing in Martin Dubravka, Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke to reinforce the back line. Then came the power play in midfield: a combined £185 million splashed on Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes to anchor and energise the centre of the pitch.

Spurs clear the decks for one more big swing

To go again for Savinho, Tottenham know they have to make room – and money. Cristian Romero is close to joining Atletico Madrid, while Djed Spence is set for a move to Inter. Those exits are designed to open up the financial space required to seriously challenge City’s stance.

That, though, is where the real battle begins. City’s hierarchy are unlikely to roll over for a direct domestic rival without a replacement lined up, and Maresca will not want to lose a dynamic wide option on the eve of a new campaign.

If Savinho proves too difficult to prise away, Spurs have drawn up an elite alternative: Cody Gakpo. The Liverpool forward is highly rated at Hotspur Way, seen as another versatile, high-ceiling option for De Zerbi’s front line. But that path looks far from straightforward. Journalist Ben Jacobs has reported that Liverpool are reluctant to sanction Gakpo’s departure unless they secure multiple attacking reinforcements first, a significant obstacle with the clock ticking.

The window is closing fast. Tottenham have rebuilt their defence, transformed their midfield and now stand one major attacking signing away from completing the summer’s grand plan. Whether it is Savinho in sky blue or Gakpo prised from Anfield, their final move will say plenty about how serious they are about climbing back to the Premier League’s top tier.