Chelsea have a £50 million buy-back clause in Tino Livramento’s contract with the rampaging right-back making a real impression at Premier League rivals Southampton, as reported by The Athletic.
Less than three months after being named Chelsea’s academy player of the year, an award previously won by Reece James, Conor Gallagher, Fikayo Tomori and Mason Mount, Livramento turned his back on the club he joined at the age of six.
Southampton paid £5 million to take the teenager to St Mary’s.
And if £5 million felt like a lot of money at the time for an 18-year-old without a single first-team appearance on his CV, it looks like a veritable bargain now.
Technically gifted and attack-minded, Livramento is the walking, talking epitome of what Ralph Hasenhuttl wants from his full-backs.
He has started six Premier League games in a row and has been so impressive Kyle Walker-Peters, arguably the club’s stand-out performer in 2020/21, has been forced to fill in on the opposite flank in recent weeks.
Buy-back clause means Southampton star Livramento could return to Chelsea
The fact Chelsea inserted a buy-back clause in Livramento’s contract when he left in August is a reflection of how highly the Croydon-born teenager is rated at Stamford Bridge.
This revelation won’t make comfortable reading for Saints fans – supporters have seen their fair share of star players depart in recent years, from Luke Shaw to Virgil van Dijk – but at least if Livramento did return to his old stomping ground, Southampton would be handsomely rewarded.
According to the Athletic, Livramento’s buy-back clause – which can’t be triggered until 2023 – stands at a staggering £50 million.
That would make the teenager the second most-expensive export in Southampton’s history, behind Premier League and Champions League winner Van Dijk, even more expensive than captain James Ward-Prowse.
But let’s not get carried away, Livramento is just six games into his Southampton career. A lot can change before 2023 rolls around.
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