Premier League giants Manchester City have today been targeted in ruthless fashion, over their impending deal for Troyes star Sávio.
The name of youngster Sávio has of course taken its place front and centre in the media headlines across Europe over the course of the last 48 hours.
This comes after word was forthcoming that the aforementioned City had come to an agreement, to bring the gifted attacker to Manchester in the summer.
Sávio, for his part, is currently plying his trade in Spain with Girona, on loan from French outfit Troyes.
All three clubs are part of the aptly-named ‘City Group’, with the transfer team at The Etihad having made use of their place at the top of the table to bring in another of European football’s most promising talents.
The move, however, has since not been responded to at all well across the continent.
In fact, many have taken firm aim at the Sky Blues brass, for what has been widely labelled a direct abuse of power.
Sávio stands as the most expensive signing in the history of the aforementioned Troyes, after the City Group bankrolled a move for the Brazilian back in 2022.
However, bizarrely, he has never taken to the pitch in the colours of ESTAC, owing to a pair of successive loans with PSV Eindhoven, and Girona.
Nor will Troyes ever be granted the opportunity to benefit from his talents, ahead of Sávio landing in Manchester this summer.
And one individual who has this evening not been at all shy in making clear his disgust with the nature of the situation, comes in the form of Jérôme Rothen.
Former France international Rothen, for his part, spent some of the early years of his successful career plying his trade with none other than Troyes.
With the club now battling against relegation to the third tier of French football under the watch of the City Group, however, the 45-year-old considers Sávio’s transfer to be the final straw.
Speaking as part of an interview with RMC Sport on Tuesday, Rothen ranted:
“They perhaps think that because it’s Troyes, we’re not going to be vigilant. I find that problematic.
“I just want to tell them, ‘Get out! French football doesn’t need you!’ I’m not scared to say it, we don’t need them. They sold us the idea of a club that should have established itself in Ligue 1, as things stand they’re right at the bottom of Ligue 2.”
Drawn specifically on Sávio, who has racked up seven goals and seven assists for Girona this season, he continued:
“He is a quality player who could have contributed things in Troyes… It makes me angry. Through this player, everything is summed up. They are using this club as a springboard for certain players.”
“With Savio, we have passed a milestone, we must denounce it… And if the protests are not enough, then we no longer go to the stadium, leave them in their sh*t, we’ll make them understand that they have to leave.”
Conor Laird | GSFN