Arsenal and Manchester City are interested in signing 23-year-old Newcastle United defender, Valentino Livramento, but the asking price has complicated matters for both clubs.
According to a report from TEAMtalk, Valentino Livramento will cost over £58 million, and neither Premier League club is willing to spend that amount on him. There is no doubt that the Englishman is a young player with a lot of potential, and he might be able to justify the investment in the future, but the asking price is quite high for a full-back.
Also, Arsenal have Jurrien Timber in that position, and the Netherlands international has been exceptional. They will not want to pay over £58 million for Livramento, who might not even start every week for them. The only reason they are looking at another right-back is that Ben White could leave the club amid his links with several Premier League bigwigs.
The young defender needs regular game time at this stage of his career. While the opportunity to join an elite club will be hard to turn down, he needs to choose his next destination carefully. Sitting on the bench at Arsenal is not an appealing proposition.
Manchester City need someone like Livramento
On the other hand, Manchester City have been using Matheus Nunes as the first-choice right back. They need an alternative, as the Portuguese midfielder is more suited to the role of a central midfielder. Adding a specialist right-back could add a new dimension to the Manchester City attack.
The Newcastle United star is more than just a reliable defender. He will help create opportunities going forward as well. Livramento has one goal and three assists to his name with the Magpies so far. He would add more sharpness to Manchester City’s attacking play compared to Nunes. Moving Nunes into the midfield could bring out the best in the Portuguese star as well.
Joining Manchester City would make a lot of sense for the 23-year-old Newcastle defender, and recent reports have claimed that the Citizens are ready to pay a big-money fee to land him, contrary to claims by the TEAMtalk update. He is likely to slot into the starting lineup straightaway, and he will get regular opportunities with them.
Manchester City missed out on the Premier League title this past season, and they will look to close the gap with Arsenal by signing quality players. Improving the quality of the right back department should be one of their priorities.
Meanwhile, the asking price from Newcastle United is hardly a surprise. The Tyneside outfit will not want to lose a talented young player like him, and they are looking to recoup as much as possible from his departure. We have previously covered reports that Manchester City might be willing to break the bank for Livramento.
Livramento will be attracted to the idea of playing for major clubs, and he might hope that Newcastle United are reasonable with their demands.
