Newcastle United found 10-year man who can play for Real Madrid, Barcelona, Man City and the rest
Newcastle United bought a £35million gem in Tino Livramento - the right-back spot is his for as long as he wants it.
In his usual skilful, ambiguous manner, Eddie Howe kept the race for right-back open. Tino Livramento, the incumbent, is flying high - but veteran performer and talismanic leader Kieran Trippier is inching towards a return.
“It will be interesting to see (whether the shirt is Livramento’s to lose),” Howe told NewcastleWorld. “From our side, we’ve always said, especially in that Champions League season, we needed two outstanding players for every position. That’s still the case now.
“We have three outstanding right-backs when you add Emil Krafth to that. Three international players. I wouldn’t say there is ever going to be one player for that position. It will be interesting to see how the players fight for their places.”
Howe was hardly going to nail his colours to the mast at a press conference while upsetting two seasoned players but everything points towards Livramento having the jersey for the next 10 years. His first start against Manchester City over a year ago was like an atomic bomb going off. Livramento was - and is - THAT good.
Following that up with a stellar performance against Manchester United in the next round of the cup and Newcastle soon realised they had signed a good’un. Trippier carried the mantle for most of the campaign, with Livramento blooded in gently, but the talent was clear.
Howe has trusted him - and fellow Chelsea academy product Lewis Hall - with starting roles in 2024-25. After a shaky start, Livramento now looks as though he belongs among the Premier League elite, picking up wingers in his pocket by the dozen. Has Gabriel Martinelli escaped yet?
A deserved England cap last weekend will undoubtedly be the first of many. But while his stock is high, do not be fooled by thinking the path was easy.
In April 2022, a pain-stricken Livramento screamed in agony, his body slumped on the Amex Stadium turf. One of England’s most promising talents suffered a potentially career-damaging ACL injury that ruled him out for over a year.
Chelsea sources claim some insiders were surprised by his exit a year earlier. Crowned Academy Player of the Year, there were puzzled looks at Cobham when he joined Southampton months later.
However, his career was now in the hands of sports science as he began a 13-month road to recovery. Like many before him, would Livramento fail to return as the same player?
That was the dilemma for St James’ Park chiefs last summer before stumping up £36million on the young right-back. With just two post-injury games to go off, Newcastle were taking a risk.
Howe revealed on Friday that the trade-off facilitated the move and, without his ACL setback, Livramento may not have been available. As a man whose own career was blighted by injuries, the Toon boss hailed his mental resolve to come back better than ever.
“Tino, from minute one, showed a real strength in character,” Howe told NewcastleWorld. “For me, I didn’t see a player in any way hesitant or nervous. He was all in from minute one, joining in with training and fine physically. He was one of the best athletes straight away.
“You wouldn’t have necessarily known he was coming off a long-term injury. There’s always an element of risk about every signing. When I say that, people will think that’s a cliched answer but there is. You could sign a player that’s never been injured before and they could get injured on the first day of training.
“Obviously, the risk is heightened if someone is coming off the back of a long-term injury like Tino had. But for me, that was the only reason why we were in a position to sign him as he had that injury. If he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have been attainable. We decided to sign him, I’m delighted we did. He’s turned out to be a brilliant signing.”
It is scary to think Livramento has just turned 22. His potential is immense and areas of his game could improve. He is defensively astute and can beat players for fun, but racking up assists like Trippier would take him to a different stratosphere.
Newcastle should be excited by the future, with two youthful full-backs standing a chance of representing club and country for years. Howe may not admit it publicly, but deep down he knows he is nurturing a real gem - and heir apparent to Trippier’s throne.