Manchester City have been blasted for their treatment of sister club Troyes as they close in on a move for winger Savio.

The January transfer window went by without much incident for City other than Kalvin Phillips joining West Ham United on loan, but the summer rumour mill is already heating up.

According to multiple reports, City have made a move to sign Troyes winger Savio, who is currently lighting up La Liga on loan at Girona.

Fabrizio Romano wrote on X: "Manchester City agree deal to sign Savio from parent club Girona in the summer. Documents to be signed in the next days. Despite bids from German and English clubs, Savio will join #MCFC.

"He's now 100% focused on Girona to end the season in the best way."

There has been plenty of backlash surrounding the deal, though. Troyes and Girona are both within the City Football Group but, despite being Troyes' record signing in 2022, Savio is yet to play for the club.

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The teenager was immediately loaned to PSV Eindhoven and then joined Girona on loan for the current season. All the while, Troyes have been relegated from Ligue 1 and are now languishing at the bottom of Ligue 2.

It's a situation that former Troyes player Jerome Rothen is not happy about.

"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.

"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, we'll make them understand that they have to leave."

Manchester City won't care It's certainly a sad situation. Troyes are suffering under the CFG's stewardship as a player, their player, who could turn fortunes around thrives elsewhere. The club are merely a pawn in a much bigger game and their fans have no power to change it.

But it's hard to see the powers that be at CFG caring too much, this is their plan in action. A network of clubs spanning across the globe that allows them to harvest talent and streamline the best of it straight to City.

Savio is just 19 but has fired Girona to an unlikely title charge against Real Madrid with his seven goals and seven assists. That's a lot of potential and City will benefit massively if he continues to improve and performs as well in Manchester one day.