At the age of just 19, few players have dazzled LaLiga like Girona winger Savio. The Brazilian has made an almighty impression on the Spanish top-flight, going from an unknown quantity to one of the division’s standout stars within a matter of months.
By Luke Bissett
Savio, also known as Savinho, has been a vital component in Girona’s incredible campaign, notching five goals and seven assists across 23 LaLiga appearances. The wide player has continued to turn heads far and wide with his sparkling displays – and none more so than fellow City Football Group club Manchester City, who have agreed a deal to sign him in the summer.
The Brazilian began his footballing career in the academy of Atlético Mineiro – where he went on to make his debut aged just 16 under manager Jorge Sampaoli. Thereafter, Savio moved to Europe in the summer of 2022, initially joining CFG outfit Troyes before being loaned to PSV Eindhoven for the 2022-23 campaign. However, the winger failed to make an impact in the Netherlands, accumulating just six Eredivisie appearances and spending the majority of his spell with the club’s U23 side Jong PSV, who play in the country’s second tier.
On paper, Savio returned to Troyes last pre-season only to immedietely seal a loan move to Girona – another side within the City Football Group umbrella. Girona and Savio haven’t looked back since. The 19-year-old has been one of LaLiga’s breakout stars, adopting the role of attacking lynchpin in one of Europe’s most exciting forward-lines. The loss of last season’s top scorer Valentín Castellanos has seemingly had little impact on Girona if none at all. In fact, the Catalonians are LaLiga’s top scorers with an impressive tally of 52 goals from their opening 23 league games.
Savio himself has captured imaginations throughout Spain, tormenting defences with his quick-feet and instinctive final balls. The Brazilian was nominally a right-sided player before moving to Montilivi, but Girona boss Michel has typically opted to deploy him on the opposing flank as a left winger within the side’s 4-2-3-1. And it’s a decision that has paid dividends.
The 19-year-old’s ability on the ball instantly sets him apart, attempting (130) and completing (62) more dribbles than any other player in the Spanish top-flight this term. Savio’s dribbling ability is undoubtedly one of his greatest qualities, particularly when looking to take defenders on. The attacker is quite comfortably one of the most formidable one-v-one specialists in the big five European league. He is able to beat opponents with ease, boasting a dribble success rate of 47.7% – the highest among the five LaLiga players with at least 100 dribble attempts. This has even forced opposition sides to ‘double up’ on the wide player at times in attempt to nullify his attacking threat, but to little avail.
Another mightily impressive trait of Savio is that he displays real intent on the ball. The Girona star always looks to attack with purpose. Only four LaLiga players have made more progressive carries than him (217), while he has the highest total carry distance of any player in the Spanish top-tier this season (5,046 metres). The teenager possesses the ability to drag his side up the pitch via his supremely effective ball-carrying or by offering an out-ball to his side. Furthermore, only Rodrygo (58) has made more ball carries into the box than Savio in LaLiga this term (47).
One of Girona’s key attacking principles is to manipulate space, which in turn isolates Savio one-on-one with a defender. The Catalonians look to retain width and the Brazilian often stays high and wide on the touchline to always provide an attacking outlet. Savio has received 230 progressive passes in the league across 2023-24, the outright most of any player in La Liga.
Yet the 19-year-old’s skillset extends beyond just toying with defences through his ball-carrying. He is equally capable of splitting defences with penetrative final-balls. He leads all LaLiga players for assists (7), expected assists (xA) (7), while only two players have made more passes into the penalty area than him (38). The Brazilian is a huge source of Girona’s attacking potency and Manchester City fans will certainly be salivating at the tantalising prospect of striker Erling Haaland being on the end of the winger’s piercing deliveries.
Savio has also built a superb relationship with Girona left-back Miguel Gutiérrez. The duo vary their attacking runs to give opponents a constant headache, be it Gutiérrez embarking on underlapping runs or Savio inverting into the half-spaces to combine with teammates inside the pitch. The forward has also displayed an eye for a goal, netting five strikes from just 24 shots. He has consistently performed throughout the season, proving that his form is no flash in the pan. Girona currently sit second in the LaLiga standings, just two points behind leaders Real Madrid – nicely setting up a clash between the two sides at the Bernabéu this Saturday.
Any potential Girona success will invariably rely on the performance of star-man Savio, who has continued to thrive in one of LaLiga’s most dominant sides. Whether the Brazilian moves to the Etihad in the summer or remains in Catalonia for another season, there is little doubt his talent will ensure he’s playing Champions League football next season. And after exceeding all expectations thus far, who would dare put a ceiling on just how far his talent can go.
(Images from IMAGO)
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