Born in Gorlago, Bergamo, Savoldi made his debut in Serie A in 1965 with Atalanta. From 1968 to 1975 he played in the red and blue kit of Bologna, making 201 appearances, scoring 85 goals. He gained popularity and notoriety as a goalscoring striker with the Emilian club, achieving notable success, winning two Coppa Italia titles in 1970 and 1974, finishing both editions as top scorer with 10 goals. He also win the Anglo-Italian League Cup in 1970, as well as winning the Serie A top scorer award during the 1972–73 Serie A season, with 17 goals.