Manchester City discussed player swap deal with Newcastle United for Tino Livramento | OneFootball

A possible player swap deal was tentatively discussed between Manchester City and Newcastle United amid Etihad Stadium interest in Tino Livramento.

Right-back has remained a priority for City over the past 18 months, with Pep Guardiola and his recruitment team exploring multiple avenues. João Cancelo’s departure left a long-term gap, while Kyle Walker ultimately left for Burnley this summer following a loan with AC Milan.

In response, Guardiola has relied on flexible existing solutions within his roster, from redeploying Matheus Nunes as a makeshift defender to utilising Academy graduate Rico Lewis in the senior set-up more often.

Despite Lewis’ emergence, there have been persistent doubts, particularly among supporters, over whether the Bury-born starlet can consistently deliver as a first-choice right-back at the very highest level.

Those concerns have led City to look outward, with Inter Milan’s Denzel Dumfries among the Serie A players reportedly tracked this summer, while Premier League profiles such as Livramento have also been considered.

The summer also brought fresh uncertainty around Lewis’ own future. The 20-year-old attracted admiration from a host of clubs, while honest talks were ultimately held involving all at the Etihad Stadium that led to the player committing his long-term future contractually.

However, according to the information of TBR Football’s Graeme Bailey, Rico Lewis was discussed in a potential deal for Newcastle United’s Tino Livramento earlier this summer, as Manchester City went in search of a long-term successor to Kyle Walker at right-back.

It is explained that the 20-year-old’s name was mentioned in early talks, which could have seen the highly-rated and versatile defender move in the opposite direction to the Magpies’ full-back if a deal had been agreed.

Ultimately, Rico Lewis went on to sign a new five-year contract at City until 2030, but only after talks over his future with Pep Guardiola having been originally considering his future at the Etihad Stadium.

The report points out that Premier League sides in Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion, Tottenham, and Everton had all showed interest in signing the City Football Academy graduate, as well as Vincent Kompany at Bayern Munich.

Looking forward, the question is whether Manchester City will revisit their pursuit of Tino Livramento or look elsewhere for reinforcements, perhaps starting in the upcoming January transfer window.

With Lewis now secured on a long-term deal, Pep Guardiola may be more inclined to ease him into a bigger role, while at the same time, the club’s continued links to specialist full-backs suggest the search for Walker’s eventual successor is far from over.

Much will depend on how Lewis performs in the short term. Should he continue to show development, City may hold off on making a significant investment. But if Guardiola concludes that a more established option is necessary, Livramento could re-emerge as a target.

Either way, this latest revelation underscores how determined Manchester City are to solve a position that has remained unsettled since Joao Cancelo and Kyle Walker’s respective departures, with Etihad Stadium bosses refusing to leave such an important role to chance.