Rico Lewis
Rico Lewis is an option for Manchester City at right-back
Tino Livramento used the straightest of straight bats to respond to a question about Manchester City's interest in him this week as he dodged the issue while away on England Under-21 duty.
City have shown an interest in the Newcastle United full-back as they look for a long-term successor to Kyle Walker, but the Magpies have slapped a sizeable price tag on the 22-year-old and don't need to sell after securing Champions League qualification.
Walker is set to depart the Etihad this summer after eight years as City's first-choice right-back. With Rico Lewis and Matheus Nunes holding the fort at times last term, reinforcements could be pursued this summer.
Livramento is an option in that position, but when asked if he was flattered to be linked with a club of City's stature while on media duty with the Young Lions during the European Under-21 Championship, he insisted his focus was on events in Slovakia.
"I'm very much focused on what I'm doing here now. I don't know anything about that," he said. "Being away with the Under-21s is my main priority. I like to stay in the moment and just focus on what I can do to help the team now."
Livramento revealed he had been in contact with Newcastle boss Eddie Howe.
"The manager, I'm in constant contact with him," he said. "He has just said to keep focusing on what you're doing now and you're doing so well.
“So having that relationship with someone that is obviously such a big figure in what I've done so far, I think is an amazing thing for me.”
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Lewis was once seen as Walker's heir apparent, and he could make a run for that position early in the season if a right-back doesn't arrive. However, he struggled last year and has expressed a preference to play in midfield.
Nunes is a midfielder who has been converted to a right-back. After the signings of Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki, his route to minutes in the centre of the pitch has been blocked further, and Pep Guardiola has questioned whether he has the physicality to play there.
He was an inconsistent performer at full-back, but Guardiola has converted midfielders to left-backs in recent years, notably using Fabian Delph and Oleksandr Zinchenko there as he struggled to find a long-term solution.
That has changed with the £31m signing of Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolves, but just as City have tied down one full-back position, allowing Josko Gvardiol to form a partnership with Ruben Dias in the middle, an issue has emerged on the other flank.
City have time to look for a right-back during this window, even if they decide Livramento is too expensive, but Guardiola has shown on the left that he would rather find solutions from within than sign the wrong player.
Lewis and Nunes have played the role, while Manuel Akanji and John Stones are central defenders who have also been asked to play on the right at times. Guardiola's use of Gvardiol shows that he is happy to use a centre-back as a full-back.
There is certainly an irony that having finally solved the problem left-back position, Guardiola might now find that the issues he has to deal with there are being repeated on the right.