Southampton appear to have a star on their hands in Valentino Livramento – but Martin Semmens has now admitted that Liverpool would be able to sign him.
The Saints raided Chelsea over the summer with a deal to sign right back Livramento for just £5million.
Chelsea do have a buy-back clause in that deal, meaning Livramento’s future could still be at Stamford Bridge.
Livramento failed to really break through at Chelsea but has immediately excelled in the Premier League at just 19.
Livramento has started 18 league games for the Saints this season, bagging a goal against Burnley back in October.
The teenager appears to be yet another outstanding English right back off the production line, and Southampton will want to see him thrive for many years.
The problem is that Southampton often have their top young players picked off by other Premier League clubs.
Liverpool are a prime example, signing the likes of Dejan Lovren, Nathaniel Clyne, Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert, Sadio Mane and Virgil van Dijk in recent memory.
Add in Calum Chambers to Arsenal, Luke Shaw and Morgan Schneiderlin to Manchester United and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to Tottenham and this is a regular occurrence for Southampton.
Livramento could be a future sale for Southampton whether Chelsea force it or not, and CEO Semmens has discussed the issue.
Speaking to the Monday Night Club on BBC Radio Five Live, Semmens talked about the pathway from Southampton to bigger clubs in the Premier League.
Semmens noted that Southampton aren’t all that interested in the money and instead want to show players they have a pathway to bigger things.
Semmens noted that, if Liverpool come calling for Livramento, then Southampton need to sell him to then show other young players that they can reach the top of the game.
The Southampton CEO wants to show players that they can end up at Liverpool one day just like Sadio Mane, with Livramento the key example.
“People assume we want to sell players to make money, it has absolutely nothing to do with money, it’s to do with the pathway,” said Semmens. “If you don’t let Tino Livramento go to Liverpool one day when they want him, then the next one doesn’t come in.”
“We make sure we improve them on a daily basis and then when Liverpool do call and go “we want that player”, you have to let them go, or the next young one coming out of the Man City academy goes ‘I don’t want to come, because you won’t let me go’, so it’s nothing to do with raising money, we don’t want the money. If you don’t give people the view that they could replace Sadio Mane at Liverpool, they don’t want to be here, they don’t want to work and that’s what our pathway is about,” he added.
So would Liverpool be wise to target Livramento?
On a talent basis, yes. He’s young, quick, adventurous going forward and more than holds up defensively.
Neco Williams could be sold this summer and having another talented young right back in Livramento may be ideal.
The problem for any right back heading to Liverpool though is Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Alexander-Arnold is one of the best right backs in the world and few would be able to displace him from the Liverpool side.
Livramento wouldn’t want to have his progress blocked after shining at Southampton, so we can’t see a Liverpool move any time soon.
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