'Quality' - Newcastle United star picks up UEFA award after club-record transfer blocked

The 22-year-old was named UEFA’s player of the match as England Under-21s beat Czechia 3-1 in Slovakia.

Harvey Elliott, Jonathan Rowe and Charlie Cresswell scored for Lee Carsley’s side while Daniel Fila found the net for Czechia in what proved to be a second-half consolation goal.

Livramento was deployed in an increasingly familiar left-back role and played his part in England’s opening goal scored by Elliot. The Newcastle defender’s involvement with England Under-21s comes after he was snubbed for a senior call-up by Thomas Tuchel.

Tino Livramento snubbed for England call-up

Although Livramento had arguably enjoyed his best stint of club form at the back end of the 2024/25 season at Newcastle, he was snubbed of a senior England call-up by Thomas Tuchel in favour of going away with the Under-21s side.

Livramento is the only member of England’s Under-21s squad with a senior cap to his name, having featured against the Republic of Ireland last year.

But the full-back’s omission from the senior squad was explained by Tuchel, ahead of England’s matches against Andorra and Senegal.

“We decided to give Tino Livramento the chance to play his last tournament for the Under-21s which is high valuable tournament for us to see him there in a leadership role – taking responsibility, knowing that it is on his shoulders,” Tuchel said.

“So yeah, we did not make ourselves easy with the nomination. I can see. I can understand the question [why he wasn’t picked].”

Tino Livramento praised for England Under-21s impact

National journalist Henry Winter singled out Livramento’s impressive display on Thursday night, naming the Newcastle man as the ‘best player on the park’ and tipped him for a World Cup call-up next summer.

Winter posted on X: “No surprise that Tino Livramento involved in England’s goal. Best player on the park. Got down left again, took Hutchinson’s pass, cross palmed to McAtee back to Elliott 1-0 (h-t). Livramento constantly involved first half, athletic, anticipates, defends well, bombs forward, passing or cutting in.

“Versatile right-back shining at left-back – as he did ably for Eddie Howe #NUFC last season. Eight different players filled #ENG seniors l-b position in past year: Lewis-Skelly, James, Hall, Lewis, Trent, Colwill, Shaw, Trippier.

“Livramento been on bench seven times for seniors, came on once, at right-back. His quality and versatility surely an attraction for Tuchel at World Cup.”

Eddie Howe addresses Tino Livramento question

Livramento’s impact at left-back for Newcastle following Lewis Hall’s injury plus his subsequent impact for England Under-21s in the position, have raised questions over his best position.

Although the former Southampton man is a natural right-back, his versatility to be effective on the left has proven very useful.

Livramento started the Carabao Cup final at left-back and played a key role in what turned out to be Newcastle’s winning goal against Liverpool scored by Alexander Isak. Livramento’s left-footed cross was nodded down by Jacob Murphy for Isak to turn in at Wembley Stadium as The Magpies ended a 70-year domestic trophy drought.

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When asked about Livramento’s best position, Newcastle head coach Howe said: “I think the beauty of Tino is that he can do both.

“His left foot is actually pretty good, he's put in some really good crosses on it. When he comes in on his right foot he's got obvious strengths.

“But the biggest thing is his football brain which I think has allowed him freedom to execute a couple of things we've done tactically. I think his game has gone up two or three levels.

“But in the future I see him going back to right back - although also having the ability to start on the left, depending what the team is."

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Manchester City target Tino Livramento - but miss out

Ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup, Manchester City had targeted Livramento as a potential signing and retain an interest, although the temporary transfer window ahead of the tournament has now closed. City and all other clubs are blocked from completing any transfers until the window reopens on June 16.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano confirmed that City’s negotiations to sign Livramento are on hold with a deal ‘complicated’.

Romano tweeted: “Negotiations for Tino Livramento to Man City are currently complicated and on stand-by. Newcastle are not reducing their asking price as they want to keep Livramento.”

While Newcastle have not set an ‘asking price’ as such for Livramento, any sale would require a bid that would smash the club’s record transfer exit, which still stands at £35million for Andy Carroll set in 2011. The Magpies also sold Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest last summer for £35million but that deal also saw goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodmios head in the opposite direction for an inflated fee of £20million.

Newcastle intend to keep Livramento and all starting players ahead of the 2025/26 season as they prepare for a return to Champions League football and look to improve on their group stage exit from the tournament two seasons ago.

Livramento featured for Newcastle in the Champions League back in 2023, starting a 2-0 defeat at Borussia Dortmund on the right wing. The full-back has since established himself as a key player in Howe’s side and will be hoping to continue his progress next season in a bid to earn a spot in England’s World Cup squad.

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