Introduction
Sávio Moreira de Oliveira (born 10 April 2004), known as Savinho or simply Sávio, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Premier League club Manchester City and the Brazil national team.
Early life
Born in São Mateus, Espírito Santo, Savinho was raised on his grandparents' farm.
Club career
Atlético Mineiro
The attacker joined Atlético Mineiro at the under-14 youth level, quickly drawing attention. Savinho signed his first professional contract on June 18, 2020, securing a three-year deal with a release clause of 60 million euros. With strong performances for Galo, the attacker was called up by the Brazilian Under-15 Team to participate in the South American Championship, where he emerged as a champion.
In 2020, Savinho was integrated into the transition team and began training frequently with the professional squad. He made his debut for the first team on August 19 in a 4-3 victory against Atlético Goianiense in Goiânia.
In 2021, he was part of the squad that won the triple crown for Atlético Mineiro that season. In October, he was listed by the English newspaper The Guardian as one of the 60 most promising young players in the world born after 2004.
He scored his first professional goal on May 19, 2022, sealing a 3-1 victory over Independiente del Valle at the Mineirão Stadium in a Copa Libertadores match. On June 30, Atlético announced an agreement for his transfer to City Football Group for 6.5 million euros, with an additional six million in bonuses. The young attacker was initially allocated to Troyes, a club in France.
Troyes
On 30 June 2022, Atlético Mineiro announced the transfer of Savinho to the City Football Group for a record €6.5 million, with an additional €6 million in performance-related variables. Savinho was initially assigned to Troyes, a Ligue 1 club within the City Group. Before his loan to Girona, another City Group team, he was loaned out to PSV. Savinho never made an appearance for Troyes, while the club nearly suffered consecutive relegations to Ligue 2 and then the Championnat National (the latter was only avoided due to Bordeaux's administrative relegation for financial issues). This led to fan disillusionment and backlash against the City Group ownership.
On 22 July 2022, Savinho joined PSV on loan for the 2022–23 season.
On 13 July 2023, Savinho moved to La Liga side Girona on loan for the 2023–24 season. He finished his loan season at Girona with 9 goals and 10 assists in 37 games. In addition, he made the most successful dribbles in the league with 104.
Manchester City
On 18 July 2024, Savinho signed for Premier League club Manchester City in a transfer reportedly worth £30.8 million. On 10 August, he made his debut for the club, winning the 2024 Community Shield as City defeated rivals Manchester United 7–6 on penalties, after a 1–1 draw in regular time. On 18 August, he made his Premier League debut in a 2–0 win away at Chelsea, being replaced by Phil Foden at half-time after suffering a knock. On 1st December 2024, after a barren spell, Savinho announced he would be returning to his previous shirt name of Savio for the rest of the 2024/25 season in a bid to regain the form that saw Manchester City sign him from Troyes. It is thought the move may improve his confidence and allow him to show the end product that many have always promised from him.
International career
Savinho was a member of the Brazil U15 team that won the 2019 South American U-15 Championship, during which he scored four goals.
He was also called up to the team which took part in the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He scored one goal in Brazil's 6–0 group stage win over the Dominican Republic. Brazil won their group, but they were eventually eliminated by Israel in the quarter-finals.
On 1 March 2024, Savinho got his first call-up to the Brazil senior team for the friendlies against England and Spain. He made his debut against England on 23 March 2024, which ended in a 1–0 victory.
On 28 June 2024, he scored his first senior goal for Brazil in a 4–1 win against Paraguay in the 2024 Copa América group stage.
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 7 December 2024
| Club | Season | League | State league | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Atlético Mineiro | 2020 | Série A | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | 0 | |||||
| 2021 | Série A | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 13 | 0 | |||
| 2022 | Série A | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 1 | — | 14 | 2 | |||
| Total | 20 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 2 | 1 | — | 35 | 2 | ||||
| Jong PSV (loan) | 2022–23 | Eerste Divisie | 9 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 2 | |||||
| PSV (loan) | 2022–23 | Eredivisie | 6 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | ||
| Girona (loan) | 2023–24 | La Liga | 37 | 9 | — | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | 41 | 11 | ||||
| Manchester City | 2024–25 | Premier League | 12 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 0 | |
| Career total | 84 | 12 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 112 | 15 | ||
International
- As of match played 19 November 2024
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 2024 | 11 | 1 |
| Total | 11 | 1 | |
- Scores and results list Brazil's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Savinho goal
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 June 2024 | Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, United States | 5 |  Paraguay | 2–0 | 4–1 | 2024 Copa América |
Honours
Atlético Mineiro
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 2021
- Copa do Brasil: 2021
- Campeonato Mineiro: 2020, 2021, 2022
- Supercopa do Brasil: 2022
PSV
- KNVB Cup: 2022–23
- Johan Cruyff Shield: 2022
Manchester City
- FA Community Shield: 2024
Brazil U15
- South American U-15 Championship: 2019
Individual
- La Liga U23 Player of the Month: January 2024
- La Liga Team of the Season: 2023–24