Moving Valentino Livramento into a more advanced role for Kyle Walker-Peters to return has been mentioned to Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl, according to The Athletic.
Livramento has been a sensation through the early stages of the season after a £5m move to St Mary’s. Hasenhuttl bravely dropped Walker-Peters to debut the Chelsea product at Everton. And his display at Goodison Park convinced the Austrian to keep him in the side.
The 18-year-old is yet to miss a second of Premier League football since leaving Stamford Bridge. Even though Livramento arrived on the south coast without featuring in a first-team game and only made two senior matchday squads with the Blues in his brief career.
Livramento’s instant success at Southampton has come at Walker-Peters’ expense, despite the 24-year-old being one of their top-performers last season. Following a £12m transfer from Tottenham Hotspur, Walker-Peters played 30 of the Saints 2020/21 league fixtures.
Yet Walker-Peters’ only minutes so far this term have come at left-back against Manchester United and Newcastle. The former England U21 international impressed over the summer, and – following Tottenham considering a return – Southampton had no interest in selling.
Several sources have told The Athletic that moving Livramento into a more advanced role could see Walker-Peters return to right-back. The idea has also been put to Hasenhuttl, although it is not suggested who debated the potential tactical change with the Saints boss.
But Hasenhuttl seems settled with Livramento retaining Southampton’s right-back role for the time being over Walker-Peters. The latter’s attitude in training is still excellent, despite his lack of recent minutes in his preferred role. And Hasenhuttl will expect nothing less.
Should Hasenhuttl start Southampton stars Livramento and Walker-Peters?
Livramento has impressed with marauding runs from full-back since joining Southampton to keep Walker-Peters out of Hasenhuttl’s plans. But it is his one-one-one defending that has impressed the Austrian coach the most so far, according to Hampshire Live.
Hasenhuttl also feels Livramento will not be able to defend as well in a more attacking role, despite experience there. England U21 boss Lee Carsley dabbled with the 18-year-old there during his debut against Kosovo this month. Operating in front of Norwich’s Max Aarons.
Livramento also played regularly in a wide midfield role for Chelsea’s U23, which may offer Walker-Peters his route back into the squad and in his preferred role. But the £23k-a-week star will have to convince Hasenhuttl he is worth it, given his praise for the teen.
“When I saw how quickly he got there and how quickly he was able to deliver what we asked of him in this position, I knew that we had something very good, something very special,” Hasenhuttl said of Livramento last month, via BT. “He is already at a very high level and has the whole package, for his age. He is physically and mentally very strong.”
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