Southampton manager Russell Martin wants Newcastle United target Tino Livramento to ‘give it all they’ve got’ while talk about a summer transfer lingers.
The Magpies hope to reach an agreement with Southampton for the 20-year-old defender.Newcastle made a £23 million bid, but it was insufficient for the Saints to accept.
While Livramento is interested in moving to St James’ Park, negotiations appear to have stagnated.
At the moment, the two teams cannot agree on a price, which could lead to Newcastle pulling out of the deal this week.
That would be a shame, because Livramento appears to be a terrific match for the club right now, and the ideal replacement for Kieran Trippier in the future.
The former Chelsea player has shown that he belongs in the Premier League and is one of many Southampton players who might return to the top division immediately following relegation.
However, the Saints manager has now sent a vital message to those players who are considering leaving the club.
Russell Martin’s expectations of his Southampton teammates
Martin spoke to Hampshire Live on Southampton’s outgoings and revealed that he has players that want to return to the Premier League for next season.
“There are some who may want to return to the Premier League,” he remarked.
“And hopefully, they’ll look at me and think, ‘Actually, it won’t be the worst thing in the world if we end up staying,’ so it’s my job to persuade them.”
“I’ve been really honest in the individual chats we’ve had, and I said, you know, even the ones who think they’ll end up back playing in the Premier League and want to, and there’s interest for them, as long as they give it everything they’ve got while they’re here, they owe that to the club after last season in particular.”
It doesn’t get any better than that, and Martin should have no reservations about it with Livramento. While he is eager to join Newcastle, he does not appear to be pushing for a move.
That is, how much Newcastle is willing to pay and how much Southampton is willing to sell for will determine the outcome. If a deal cannot be struck, the Magpies will be forced to walk away and seek new opportunities.
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