Ex-Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips has urged his former club to pull out all the stops to secure the services of Newcastle fullback Tino Livramento.
The 22-year-old is believed to be the No.1 target to replace Kyle Walker and, speaking exclusively to Man City News (courtesy of Prime Casino), Wright-Phillips says the fact that his former Chelsea teammate Ashley Cole rates him is a very good sign:
“I think he’s a fantastic player, and he’s still so young. He’s definitely someone to watch. I think Ashley Cole was raving about him, speaking about how good he is, how he’s a brilliant one-on-one defender. If anyone can judge a quality full-back, it’s Ash.”
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“He goes forward, too and has such quality about him. City have always had Kyle Walker as an option so if there’s a direct replacement, he’s going to have pace. Tino’s got that, but he’s not just quick, he’s a more rounded player as well.”
Livramento won’t be available on the cheap
Reports over the past couple of weeks have suggested that Newcastle may be willing to part ways for £70m but manager Eddie Howe is said to be determined to keep hold of him.
Combined with the fact that Livramento has shown no desire to push for a transfer away from St James’ Park, it could be a tough deal to pull off this summer.
Man City have yet to seriously consider alternatives
Pep Guardiola’s side are reportedly reluctant to be drawn into a protracted transfer battle, so there is a chance that they will move on to other targets very soon if there is no progress.
While the Cityzens have been linked with other right-backs, including Juventus’s Andrea Cambiaso and Flamengo’s Wesley in recent months, the club haven’t made a concerted effort to sign anyone of note. We shall see if that changes over the next few weeks.
In other news, we list the 3 likeliest destinations if Jack Grealish leaves Man City