Eddie Howe makes ‘not sure’ admission about Newcastle United £60m double transfer

Full-backs Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall joined Newcastle over the summer for a combined transfer fee of around £60million. Livramento, 20, joined from Southampton for a deal worth in excess of £30million but has made just one brief substitute appearance so far.

19-year-old Lewis Hall joined Newcastle on a season-long loan from Chelsea with an obligation to buy for £28million at the end of the season but is yet to make his debut.

Ahead of Sunday’s trip to Sheffield United followed by the Carabao Cup match against Manchester City, Howe addressed the pair’s lack of minutes so far.

“You will see them on the pitch,” Howe said in his pre-match press conference. “When? I am not sure. I will always pick a team that gives us the best chance of winning.

"Tino is training very well and is really, really good but he is fighting with Kieran Trippier who has been outstanding for us this season. Tino we see as being a huge part of our future and it's the same with Lewis Hall.

"Lewis has come having played no minutes during pre-season, he's an outstanding prospect. We're building him up and he's competing for that starting spot.”

Hall made nine Premier League appearances for Chelsea last season, including starting home and away against Newcastle. Meanwhile Livramento missed the majority of the 2022-23 campaign due to a serious knee injury and only featured in Southampton’s final two matches as they were relegated from the Premier League.