It has been a day full of speculation and mixed messages regarding Tino Livramento’s proposed move to Newcastle United.
Claims came out this morning that Newcastle and Southampton were miles apart on agreeing a fee for young right-back Tino Livramento despite reports suggesting the deal was almost complete.
There was a lot of confusion on social media and questioning whose source was correct before Sky Sports released a report claiming the two clubs were still quite far apart on their valuation of the 20-year-old but talks were ongoing.
Livramento starts for Southampton against Reading today
Now Southampton’s official Twitter has dropped the biggest hint that Sky Sports are most likely reporting the truth as they have named Tino Livramento in their starting eleven to face Reading.
If Newcastle and Southampton were close to an agreement, not even if they’d reached an agreement, but if they felt like there’d be an imminent breakthrough, Livramento would be nowhere near that squad.
When a player is so close to a move it’s almost an unwritten rule that the selling club doesn’t use that player in any upcoming fixture.
Newcastle fans must now hope that Livramento comes away unscathed
The fact that Livramento is playing, especially after such a lengthy lay-off last season, strongly suggests that there’s still quite a way to go before he swaps the Saints for Newcastle.
It has been a crazy day as far as Livramento stories have gone today, but surely this one puts the talk to bed for the day, ready to be picked up again in the near future provided he comes out of today’s game unscathed.
I’m sure there’ll be plenty of tense Newcastle fans keeping an eye on proceedings between Southampton and Reading, hoping that Livramento leaves the field in one piece.
