Newcastle United defied expectations and cleaved their way into European contention last term with a fourth-placed Premier League finish, and could now consolidate their newfound stature by signing Southampton's Tino Livramento.
Are Newcastle going to sign Tino Livramento?
According to talkSPORT, the relegated Saints have touted the 20-year-old at £50m after Newcastle lodged a recent offer of £30m for Livramento, who made just two appearances last term due to a long-term injury sustained in April 2022.
This might seem exorbitant, but Southampton's stance is seemingly that the precocious talent played no part in such a dismal year and as such should not see a deprecation in value.
The south coast club signed the emerging ace from Chelsea for just £5m but inserted a £25m buyback clause into the contract, and the Saints hierarchy evidently believes that for Newcastle to find fruit in their pursuit they must stretch closer towards that ballpark figure of £50m.
What position is Tino Livramento?
Having signed Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid for £12m in January 2022, Newcastle unearthed a new focal point from the right-back position to spearhead an ascent that has carried the club away from relegation worries at the bottom of the Premier League and toward Champions League football just 18 months on.
The England international has made 53 displays for the Tyneside outfit, scoring three goals and supplying ten assists to date; he also played an important role in securing the division's joint-best defensive record of 33 goals conceded – alongside champions Manchester City.
Once hailed as a "revelation" by pundit Simon Jordan, Trippier has been immense, but at 32-years-old his influence will not last forever and targetting a worthy successor is paramount to ensure the robustness of the outfit continues.
Livramento played next to no part in Southampton's 2022/23 travails but did impress across the previous campaign, earning an average Sofascore rating of 6.85 after making 28 appearances, making 1.9 tackles and 1.7 clearances and interceptions per game, earning praise as a "future star" by former teammate Theo Walcott, who also called him "fantastic".
One player who could benefit from his arrival at St. James's Park is Anthony Gordon, with the 22-year-old Englishman not quite hitting the ground running since completing a £45m transfer from Everton last January, scoring just one goal from 16 appearances.
Gordon is a nimble and progressive winger and has been called "fearless" by Newcastle icon Alan Shearer, and with both the Liverpudlian and the Southampton starlet in the maiden phase of exciting careers, they could form an innate partnership down the right flank.
Livramento's aforementioned defensive metrics highlight his prowess at protecting the base of his team, which could allow Gordon to thrive as he grows into his skin and harnesses his end product over the next several seasons.
Trippier is a dynamic option and can help Gordon at present with his masterful ball-playing skills, but indeed, several years down the line his presence will have waned and the changing of the guard could reap rewards across several facets of the pitch with Livramento the heir.