Newcastle United's summer transfer is up and running, with Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes enriching the ranks at St. James's Park; now, Southampton's Tino Livramento could be the next to make the move to Tyneside.
Does Tino Livramento have a buyback clause?
According to the Daily Mail, Newcastle are preparing to re-enter negotiations for the starlet after failing with their first offer, though Southampton are believed to be reluctant to sell one of their most coveted assets.
talkSPORT have also claimed that Saints will demand £50m for the 20-year-old full-back after turning down an initial £30m approach from the Magpies, and the completion of the deal now lies in whether a happy medium can be found between the respective clubs.
Having arrived at St. Mary's from Chelsea for just £5m in 2021, Livramento spent the majority of the 22/23 campaign on the sidelines, but with the Blues holding a £25m buyback clause, Southampton are demanding any further bids to eclipse that price
How good is Tino Livramento?
The five-cap England U21 international was a consistent performer for Southampton across the 21/22 campaign, earning an average Sofascore rating of 6.85 across his 28 Premier League appearances, completing 79% of his passes from his marauding role, averaging 1.9 tackles and 1.7 clearances and interceptions, and succeeding with 62% of his ground duels.
This level of precocity is exactly why Newcastle are so desperate to acquire his services, with England manager Gareth Southgate even heralding his "excellent" start to the campaign.
Livramento's former Saints teammate Theo Walcott was also left astounded by his development, even likening him to Gareth Bale, who came through the Saints youth academy before signing for Tottenham in a £12m deal in 2007.
Walcott said: "Do you know what, he reminds me a little bit of Gareth Bale when he came through as a full-back. That's a big statement of course to compare him to someone like that but just feel like his presence and the way he drives and the pace and the power and it's no surprises that you know what he's going to do."
Bale would go on to sign for Real Madrid in an £85m transfer in 2013 – a world record at the time – plundering 173 direct contributions from 258 matches and notably winning five Champions League trophies and three LaLiga titles.
It's a big call from Walcott to predict Livramento could emulate the former Wales international, but he boasts the skills to cement his stature as a "top-class" – as he has already been called by talent scout Jacek Kulig – flanker over the next decade.
Bale averaged 1.7 dribbles and 1.5 key passes per match across the duration of his career, as per WhoScored, and while Livramento only averaged 0.7 key passes and 1.1 dribbles across the 21/22 league term, there is clearly a base to his skill set that can be enhanced and shaped over the coming years.
Indeed, like the Saints youngster, Bale also started as a flying full-back becoming one of the game's great wide players. That is a path well trodden for players of a similar ilk in modern football, and Livarmento will hope he can tread along a similar path to success.
indeed, under Howe's wing at Newcastle, he could be placed into a thriving crop capable of unlocking his potential and guiding him into the top stratosphere of talent on the European stage.