Newcastle United and Liverpool issued transfer warning by director of football

Southampton have delivered a stern warning to Newcastle United and Liverpool over their efforts to sign two current members of Russell Martin’s squad.

The Magpies remain keen on a deal for Saints full-back Tino Livramento as they look to provide competition for Kieran Trippier throughout what will be a hectic season at St James Park. There is also a belief the former Chelsea academy defender will eventually become a high-quality success to the England international if he can be lured to St James Park.

Talks between the two clubs are believed to be ongoing, with reports suggesting United have been unsuccessful with three separate offers for Livramento. The latest speculation has suggested the Championship club are only willing to consider offers approaching £50million for their highly-rated full-back as the Saints continue to fight off interest from a number of clubs for several of their prize assets.

Liverpool are reportedly looking to continue their midfield overhaul by making a move for Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia after the former Manchester City youngster provided one of the few positives from a season that saw the Saints relegated into the second tier.

However, director of football Jason Wilcox, who was linked with a role at Newcastle following the PIF-led takeover in October 2021, has warned both Premier League clubs any deal will only be sanctioned if it is a ‘win-win’ scenario for his club.

He told The Daily Echo: “When I looked across the squad, I thought there is going to be a huge Premier League market for certain players – without naming names. I’ve got a responsibility to make the right recommendations to the football club on whether we should accept something and we can reinvest, whether it’s the right thing for the player or the club.

“In these situations, the best situation is to have a win-win agreement where it’s the best solution for all parties – but we’ve got a value on them. We’re a big football club that has been relegated to the Championship but we’ve got a value and we’re not going to allow our players to leave if we don’t feel it’s a win-win.

He continued: “If a club wants to take our players on the cheap and we feel as though we’re losing then that’s not a win-win agreement – there has to be a compromise. There will be situations where we say to players ‘I’m really sorry but the value is not there, you’re going to be with us in the Championship and have to generate your Premier League value’.