Newcastle United's Tino Livramento 'nailed on' to make £70m move to Premier League rival this summer according to report
Normally, we take any exclusive coming from one of Football Insider's sources with enough salt to enhance the flavour of everyone in England's Friday fish & chips.
Football Insider's record of breaking exclusives is fairly poor to say the least, and the 'experts' they use to fuel their stories are so far detached from the modern game they might as well dig up Sir Matt Busby and ask his opinion.
However, in this instance, we think that they might be on to something. I mean, even a broken clock is right twice a day.
They have run quotes from Keith Wyness, who is the old CEO of Everton and is often a fountain of horseradish, but this time it sounds as though he has spoken to someone who is still connected to the game in a much more hands-on capacity than he is these days.
Keith Wyness spoke to somebody who knows a guy who thinks Tino Livramento is going to Manchester City
Wyness has told Football Insider that he's been told that Tino Livramento's move to Manchester City is 'nailed on' this summer.
“Yes, very much so. I think that’s pretty much nailed on as far as I’m aware.
“I heard from somebody the other day. I talked to an agent who said that it’s going to be happening. They did expect that sort of big number around the £70m mark, which is a big number, as we say, breaking the record.
“But I think he’s the right one for City. I think he’s a talented player, and it helps Newcastle fill the coffers.”
Unless we win the Champions League, we can't see Tino Livramento staying at Newcastle
So why have we chosen to believe this story and not any of the others that originate from that site? Gut feeling. Just sheer gut feeling and nothing else.
It has felt, ever since Tino Livramento put contract talks with Newcastle on hold til the end of the season, that the writing is on the wall for this move to happen.
The only way we'd have expected talks to resume and Tino to stay is if we'd retained Champions League football and maybe won another piece of silverware, so unless we actually lift the Champions League this season, we think we can wave goodbye to Livramento.
If we can double our money and bring in £70 million for him, it would certainly take the sting out of losing him, but we're never going to find a replacement as good as he is. However, we may find one who is available more than he is.
