Savinho seems like exactly the type of player who is ready to set the Premier League alight in his debut season.
The Manchester City new-boy is a young, uninhibited, skillful and pacey winger — who is prepared to take on defenders and have his say on games.
While Savinho is far from being the finished article, he seems guaranteed to entertain the masses during his first season at City.
Riyad Mahrez suggested Savinho plays just like him after coming across a compilation of his highlights in Manchester City’s 2-0 victory against Chelsea.
Jeremy Doku also hailed Savinho for his self-assured display against a team of the Blues’ standard — admitting that he was “stressed” when he played against Fulham on his Premier League debut.
The early signs suggest that the 20-year-old could find it a seamless transition from playing in La Liga to the Premier League.
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Savinho will be hoping to become a regular starter in Pep Guardiola’s side.
However, wingers like Bernardo Silva and Mahrez can attest to the fact that to do so is easier said than done.
Not only because of the the Catalan’s tactical demands but due to the challenge of playing against a wide array of top teams in England.
In an interview with Men In Blazers, Manuel Akanji disclosed his takeaways from watching and playing against Savinho in training.
The £15 million man said: “I’ve trained, like a bit more than a week now with him, two and half weeks. I’ve seen some things of him but I haven’t seen everything yet. But he’s technically very good, he’s good in one v ones, really good left foot that can help us a lot, even if he starts or even if he comes on.”
Akanji also gave his verdict on how Savinho fared against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
“So, also in the game on the weekend, it was his first game, it wasn’t easy, he didn’t have a lot of team trainings, like three, four team trainings and he showed us already what he’s capable of with the ball and I’m looking forward to a good season.”
Savinho will improve as a player the more he plays against Akanji
The more Savinho plays against a defender like Akanji in training, the likelier he is to improve as a player.
With the Swiss international also capable of playing as a full-back, he is likely to give the young winger a tough time when they go toe-to-toe with each other.
The 29-year-old is not only one of the best defenders in the Premier League but he often thrives when defending out wide in particular.
As a result, Savinho will be able to learn how such a top defender tries to keep him quiet and he can implement the teachings in the Premier League and the Champions League.
Perhaps the same applies to Akanji, as he too will be facing an extremely talented forward.
Apart from the two-time Premier League winner, even the likes of Nathan Ake, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol and John Stones will be able to give Savinho an insight into the level he must reach to come out on top against them.
