Man City set to miss golden Savio opportunity as transfer wait goes on

Manchester City would like to think they can profile a new signing before they arrive.

Detailed checks are carried out to ensure that Pep Guardiola has the right kind of player at his disposal, but it is almost impossible to know if they are the right player for that moment until they start training and playing. Kalvin Phillips was expected to be but really wasn't, while Julian Alvarez made himself invaluable to the squad sooner than many expected.

The best time for Guardiola and his staff to be able to run the rule over players is in pre-season, when there is an extended block on the training pitch as well as competitive match opportunities without the pressure. It is why prospects such as James McAtee are being assessed over the tour to see if they can offer what the squad need over the course of the season.

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This summer was seen as a perfect opportunity for City to look at Savio once they had completed his signing from fellow City Football Group side Troyes. The winger lit up La Liga last season with surprise package Girona, but the Blues still want a look at him in pre-season before deciding where is best for his development.

That can still happen, but the window has shrunk considerably because of the impact Savio has made. His performances over the last 12 months have caught the eye not only of City but of the Brazilian national team.

After impressing as a substitute in their first game in the Copa America, Savio started and scored in their win over Paraguay. Barring an unlikely turn of events in the early hours of Wednesday morning that would involve a big win for Panama or Costa Rica as well as defeat for Brazil to Colombia, it looks like Savio will be heading through to the quarter-finals of the tournament.

Those take place at the weekend, and should Brazil progress to the semi-finals that is another week - the same finish date as the Euros. City begin their preparations for the new season the following day in Manchester, but with at least three weeks rest urged for players before they start the better Savio does with Brazil the longer it will be before he is able to show Guardiola directly what he can do.

Savio could still return in time for the Community Shield on August 10 and there is 20 days after that for City to decide on his future; there is every chance that a star turn for Brazil could be enough to make minds up in Manchester anyway. However, the Blues are again left waiting as they look to finalise their squad for the Premier League title defence.