Who is Savio? The Man City-owned wonderkid linked with Barcelona and starring for La Liga's leaders

Suraj Radia

• 18 Nov 2023 10:20 CST
• 4 min read

Not many would have predicted Girona to be topping La Liga a third of the way into the season but the Catalan side lead their rivals in Spain, in part down to the form of their teenage wonderkid Savio.

The Brazilian is on loan from French side Troyes and is enjoying a breakout campaign so far, grabbing four goals and four assists in the opening 13 games of the campaign.

With ties to the City Football Group and already a target for Barcelona, Savio could be set for a pathway to stardom as well as a piece of history if he continues to carry Girona to their first ever title.

NEXT MAN UP: Barcelona target La Liga sensation Savinho

FootballTransfers takes a look at the hype behind the 19-year-old who could be the next youngster to command a big-money move to a major European side.

What position does Savio play in?

Savio is a left-footed winger who primarily has featured on the left flank for Girona, however he is also capable of playing on the right and behind the striker as a number ten.

How good is Savio?

Savio first attracted the interest of scouts in 2019 while playing for Brazil at the under-15s South American Championships, where he led his country to the title by scoring four times in the tournament.

Having made his debut in the top flight of Brazil for Atletico Mineiro at the age of 16, Savio scored his first senior goal in the Copa Libertadores in 2022, leading to City Football Group signing him for Troyes that summer.

However, Savio never featured for the second division French side, instead immediately joining Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven on loan for the season.

Savio, or Savinho as he became affectionally known as, only had a bit part role at PSV, making just six Eredivisie appearances across the season and featuring more for their reserve side.

The forward continued to feature for his country at youth level, representing Brazil at the 2023 under-20 World Cup and also winning the South American under-20 Championship the same year.

His form for his country provided optimism and convinced CFG to loan him to Girona, whom they also own, and it is there where he has finally started to mature into a top-level player.

He began to feature on the left flank, having previously preferred to play on the right, which allowed him to flourish with his dribbling, pace and trickery, culminating in eight goal involvements so far this season.

The scout who discovered Savio, Junior Chavare, said of him: “We knew that Savinho was a hidden gem. He became a starter in his youth teams and always stood out.

“He is professional, with an excellent mind. He has everything it takes to succeed abroad, to play in the most important clubs in the world and to be a star.”

What clubs are interested in signing Savio?

With City Football Group owning both Girona and parent club Troyes, it is perhaps unsurprising that Savio has had strong links to Manchester City, with CFG players often being swapped around between its teams.

The teenager has admitted that his dream is to impress enough for City to bring him to the Premier League, however Barcelona have also made their interest clear.

Girona executive Quique Carcel confirmed Barcelona’s interest, admitting that Deco and Xavi liking one of his players ‘fills you with pride’, indicating that Savio could remain in Catalonia beyond this season if all goes well.

When does Savio’s contract expire?

Savio is currently on loan at Girona until the end of the 2023/24 season and his contract with Troyes expires on June 30 2027.

How old is Savio?

Savio was born on April 10 2004 making him 19 years old.

What is Savio’s Instagram?

Savio has 246,000 followers on Instagram as of November 2023.