Newcastle manager Eddie Howe says he is very keen to retain the services of Tino Livramento.

Reliable reports suggest that Premier League champions Manchester City are lining up a bid for the England international, but speaking in his press conference on Friday, Howe said the club is looking to keep its best players:

“I think it goes without saying (that we want to keep Livramento). It is frustrating for us that we are constantly talking about players and rumours of them leaving.”

“We want to go the other way, we want to go the other way and strengthen the group. We want to make our team and squad stronger for the future rather than lose our best players.”

It would take a massive bid from City

The Magpies paid £40m to sign the former Chelsea academy player from Southampton at the start of last season.

The club would likely demand significantly more than that to sell Livramento now, especially considering he has usurped Kieran Trippier as first-choice right-back.

Of course, Manchester City’s pockets are sizeable but that doesn’t mean they will be prepared to match the fullback’s asking price.

Newcastle will soon need another right-back

One of the reasons why the Magpies would be determined to keep Livramento beyond this summer is due to the fact they will soon lose Trippier.

The 34-year-old has been a great servant to the club since his move from Atletico Madrid at the beginning of 2022, but he is set to leave St James’ Park when his contract expires in June.

It means the club are already looking to replace one right-back so they would be extremely reluctant to lose another on top of that. Unless a crazy offer is tabled, Livramento is expected to remain in the Northeast.

Find out who is in Newcastle United’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here