Manchester City to launch summer transfer pursuit of Newcastle United defender | OneFootball

Officials at the Etihad Stadium are expected to return to the transfer market for a name that has featured prominently in media reports over the last 12 months in particular.

City have witnessed sweeping changes to the first-team squad since Hugo Viana replaced Txiki Begiristain as director of football last summer, in the backdrop of Pep Guardiola’s most challenging season at the Etihad Stadium.

Viana signed Rayan Ait-Nouri, Marcus Bettinelli, Tijjani Reijnders, Sverre Nypan, Rayan Cherki, James Trafford and Gianluigi Donnarumma last summer, with Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo also added in January.

Guardiola is aiming to lead a new-look Manchester City dressing room to a successful finish to the season, with the Blues still in the running for success in all four competitions and undergoing a purple patch after a sluggish start to 2026.

The Blues streamlined the first-team ranks further in January by sanctioning permanent exits for Oscar Bobb and Stefan Ortega Moreno, with academy graduate Max Alleyne recalled to the Etihad Stadium midway through a season-long loan at Watford in the wake of a personnel crisis in defence.

City are expected to have another busy transfer window come the end of the season as they progress their rebuild and navigate the uncertainty around Pep Guardiola’s future at the club, with the Catalan expected to make a decision on the final year of his contract in the summer.

Executives at the Etihad Stadium are expected to be strong contenders to sign Nottingham Forest and England midfielder Elliot Anderson, who is of strong interest to Manchester City in the backdrop of an injury ravaged 18 months sustained by Ballon d’Or Rodri.

Manchester City also expressed an interest to sign Newcastle United full-back Valentino Livramento last summer but were priced out of a deal, with Magpies boss Eddie Howe also unwilling to lose one of his best players were it not for an astoundingly huge sum.

City have reaped the rewards of Matheus Nunes enjoying his best season at right-back since joining from Wolves in 2023, though the Blues are still expected to consider strengthening their prospects in the position come the end of the season.

Now, according to the information of talkSPORT’s Alex Crook, Manchester City are ready to make a ‘strong push’ for Livramento, who is under contract in the north-east till the end of the 2027-28 campaign.

It is reported that those from the Etihad Stadium have been tracking Livramento for ‘several months’ with a view towards a summer swoop, while those at St James’ Park are said to be keen on tying the player down to a new contract.

However, the report points out that from the side of the 23-year-old himself, he is in no rush to commit his future to the North East.