Premier League transfer market heats up as Sávio joins Spurs and Manchester rivals prepare major deals

Tottenham have completed an £85 million package for Sávio, Manchester United are closing in on Carlos Baleba and Manchester City are preparing a major midfield rebuild involving Ayyoub Bouaddi, Allan Elias and the possible departure of Nico González.

The final days of the Premier League summer transfer window are producing another wave of major deals, with Tottenham, Manchester United and Manchester City among the most active clubs. The biggest confirmed move on August 25 is Sávio’s transfer from Manchester City to Tottenham, while several other agreements worth tens of millions of pounds are approaching completion.

Tottenham officially announced the signing of Sávio on August 25. The 22-year-old Brazilian winger has moved from Manchester City for an initial £75 million, with another £10 million potentially payable in bonuses. At his new club, the player previously widely known as Savinho will use the name Sávio and wear the No.17 shirt.

The transfer continues an extraordinary summer of investment by Spurs under Roberto De Zerbi. Sávio joins a rebuild that has already included expensive additions such as Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Jan Paul van Hecke. Tottenham’s spending has now moved beyond £300 million, and the club remains interested in another Manchester City attacker, Omar Marmoush. City and Spurs have been discussing a deal expected to value the Egyptian at around £75 million, although that transfer has not yet been completed.

Manchester United are also close to completing one of the largest midfield transfers of the window. The club reached an agreement with Brighton for Carlos Baleba worth an initial £65 million, with further payments potentially taking the package to around £70 million. The Cameroon international has since undergone his medical, although United had not formally announced the transfer at the time of writing.

Baleba would become the latest element of Michael Carrick’s midfield reconstruction following the arrivals of Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos. The deal has taken on additional significance after United opened their Premier League campaign with a 2-0 defeat at Hull City, a match that again raised questions about the athleticism and balance of the team’s midfield.

Manchester City, meanwhile, are carrying out an unusually extensive reshaping of their own squad. The club has agreed a deal with Lille for 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi, with the package expected to reach €100 million including bonuses. The midfielder travelled to Manchester for the final stages of the move after the clubs reached an agreement. City had already committed £116 million to Elliot Anderson earlier in the window, making their midfield investment one of the largest in Europe this summer.

City have also agreed a deal worth approximately £34 million for Palmeiras winger Allan Elias, who is expected to help replace Sávio. At the same time, Nico González is moving closer to Newcastle United, with negotiations centred on a fee of roughly £50 million. The Spaniard’s departure would come only around 18 months after City paid Porto a similar amount for him.

Liverpool could yet provide another major storyline before the window closes. The club has already had offers for Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh rejected and continues discussions over Paris Saint-Germain attackers Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye. Brighton rejected an initial £50 million approach for Minteh, with reports indicating Liverpool are considering another attempt as Andoni Iraola looks to strengthen the wide positions.

With the window entering its final week, the emphasis has clearly shifted from early-summer planning to expensive last-minute decisions. Tottenham have already converted their pursuit of Sávio into a completed transfer, while Baleba and Bouaddi are close to becoming two of the next major arrivals. Manchester City’s simultaneous buying and selling, and Liverpool’s continued search for attacking reinforcements, mean the Premier League market could still produce several substantial deals before the deadline.