Can Newcastle’s Tino Livramento Thrive at Arsenal or Manchester City?

In a recent interview, Hopkinson refrained from committing to the continued tenure of the 48-year-old manager beyond the end of the 2025/26 season.

European aspirations dwindling

The defeat in the derby against Sunderland has heightened concerns over Howe’s future, with the Black Cats’ victory allowing them to surpass their rivals, thereby jeopardising Newcastle’s hopes for European competition.

With seven matches left against Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, Arsenal, Brighton, Nottingham Forest, West Ham, and Fulham, the Magpies find themselves 12 points adrift of Champions League qualification, seven points shy of Europa League spots, and six points from the Conference League.

Since the controversial sale of Alexander Isak to Liverpool, Newcastle’s performance has been on a downtrend, a transfer that Hopkinson described as “a good sale.”

The possibility of missing out on European football next season has sparked speculation that several senior players may seek opportunities elsewhere at the end of the current season.

Could Tonali and Guimaraes depart Newcastle?

Both Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes have been frequently linked with potential suitors, and should Howe lose his job, it might be too much for the Geordie fans to bear if the club also loses their captain and star creative force.

This disappointment is compounded by the uncertainty surrounding Tino Livramento’s contract extension at St. James’ Park, as the young full-back is reportedly attracting significant interest from Arsenal and Manchester City.

Even though Livramento’s contract extends until 2028, meaning Newcastle isn’t under pressure to sell, a failure to secure European football could force the club to reconsider its options.

Livramento has remained tight-lipped, leaving fans to ponder whether his silence suggests he doesn’t want to fuel speculation or if it indicates his intentions.

How can Tino Livramento enhance Arsenal or Man City?

If either the Gunners or City manage to sign Livramento, what quality would they be adding to their squad?

From an injury perspective, he’s had 94 days on the sidelines this season due to two separate knee injuries and a hamstring issue, limiting him to just 15 Premier League appearances in the current campaign.

Prior ankle troubles seem to be behind him as he’s currently thriving on the international stage.

With just one goal and three assists over 104 appearances in all competitions, improvements are due, considering his attacking capabilities. However, it’s likely he wouldn’t be acquired primarily for his goals.

His pass completion rate of 87.1% during his time at the club is only outperformed by Sven Botman (with 384 fewer passes) and Lewis Miley (with 1,168 fewer passes) and matches the accuracy of both Anthony Gordon and Kieran Trippier.

When it comes to forward passes, Livramento excels with an 83.5% success rate—better than all squad members except for Miley, Jacob Ramsey, and Matt Targett, all of whom have significantly fewer passes than Livramento’s 1,137.

His tally of 139 attempted crosses and 65 chances created highlight his attacking mindset.

Focusing primarily on defence, Livramento boasts 68 interceptions, 114 headed clearances, and 222 further clearances, alongside an impressive 87 tackles won from 135 attempts, marking a success rate of 64.4%—one of the best in the team.

No mistakes leading to goals

With 445 ball recoveries, he ranks fifth on the squad, while his 645 one-on-ones contested place him among the team’s top 10 for this statistic.

Importantly, Livramento has yet to commit an error that has resulted in a goal for the opposition since joining the Newcastle ranks.

With just 22 fouls committed and five yellow cards received, Livramento ranks among the most disciplined players in the squad, indicating that his timing is generally solid.

An enhancement in all facets can be anticipated should Livramento join either Arsenal or Manchester City, and if either club manages to acquire him at below market value due to Newcastle’s situation, it would be a mutually advantageous outcome.