Summary
Newcastle United's pursuit of defender Tino Livramento is "still alive" despite Southampton's £50m price tag, according to journalists Ryan Taylor.
Is Livramento joining Newcastle?
Despite having missed almost the entirety of last season with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, Livramento's value has not diminished this summer.
Now in the Championship, Southampton have resigned themselves to losing their best and most promising players, one of whom may be Livramento. The 20-year-old managed just 26 minutes of Premier League football last year, but has still emerged as a concrete transfer target for Eddie Howe's Newcastle.
In his first season at St Mary's Stadium after arriving from Chelsea, Livramento proved a breath of fresh air at right-back for a struggling Saints side. His direct running and willingness to get up the pitch saw him make a real impact in the Premier League at such a young age.
The defender, who has been hailed as an "absolute baller", has evidently made a positive impression on Howe, who sanctioned a £30m offer to get a deal done. However, Southampton swiftly rejected the proposal and are said to value their starlet at £50m, making a deal more complicated.
While Newcastle's hopes of a quick deal may have been dashed, journalist Taylor believes there is "a chance" that an agreement could be reached between the two parties.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Taylor said: "Chelsea have had the chance to re-sign Livramento, but I'm not sure that one's likely to happen. So, I'm apprehensive whether a deal for Livramento to Newcastle will happen this summer, but it's still alive at the moment, so there is a chance it could.”
Taylor's apprehension is understandable given that Newcastle have already spent big on Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes this summer, and are expected to go into the market for a couple more players as they ready themselves for Champions League football.
Therefore, spending such a large sum on one player who is yet to fully integrate himself back into first-team football following a long injury may be unwise.
Despite Newcastle fans hoping for a new left-back this summer, the pursuit of Livramento supports reports that the Magpies are looking at a right-back instead. Without an adequate replacement for Kieran Trippier, Howe is looking for greater depth at right-back.
Newcastle are also desperate to sign another centre-back this summer to help share minutes with the likes of Fabian Schar and Sven Botman. While the Magpies are not short of cash, they will have to continue to spend wisely in the window and not get drawn into overpaying for talent.
When do Newcastle play next?
Newcastle have had a busy pre-season on the pitch as well this summer and have played five friendly matches, with two more games to come.
The Toon were one of the teams that took part in the Premier League Summer Series in the United States, and faced Chelsea, Aston Villa and Brighton. They only managed respective 1-1 and 3-3 draws against the Blues and the Villans, but beat the Seagulls 2-1 thanks to two late goals from Elliot Anderson.
Prior to their American trip, they had beaten Gateshead 3-2 in mid-July, while also narrowly defeating Rangers 2-1 at Ibrox.
Two games in two days are still to come at St. James' Park as Howe looks to test his side against European opponents Fiorentina and Villarreal, before the Magpies travel to Villa on the opening day of the Premier League season.
