Newcastle United have made three senior signings this summer, all of which will be eager to start the Magpies’ opening game of the season against Aston Villa.
At this moment in time, it is actually difficult to see any one of Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes or Tino Livramento starting for Newcastle on Saturday.
Given that he has arrived from Italian football and might take some time getting up to speed, it feels likely that Tonali will begin the game on the bench. As for Barnes, he may be kept as an impact player with Anthony Gordon starting on the left of attack.
But while those two players at least have an outside chance of starting at St James’ Park, the least likely to be named in Eddie Howe’s XI is Livramento.
He officially joined the club earlier this week, and has trained with his new teammates ahead of the game against Aston Villa. However, he is competing for a place in the side with Kieran Trippier, who is arguably the club’s best player and was the top right-back in the country last season.
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That is why Newcastle legend Alan Shearer thinks it will be a while before we see the best of Livramento in a Toon shirt.
Alan Shearer does not think Tino Livramento will start against Aston Villa
Shearer has been speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast alongside Gary Lineker and Micah Richards, and discussed Newcastle signing Livramento from Southampton. He does not think the 20-year-old is going to have an immediate impact at St James’ Park.
“Livramento, they’ve spent a lot of money on,” he said.
“I’ll be interested to see how or when they can get him in the team, because there’s no moving Trippier at this moment in time.”
Lineker added: “But Trippier can play both sides, Alan.”
Shearer replied: “Yeah he could do. That might be what he [Howe] is thinking of. He [Livramento] didn’t play a lot last season because he had that serious injury, didn’t he? They have spent a lot of money on him. I’d be surprised if he was to go straight into the team. I don’t think it will be for a few months until you see the best of him.”
No need for Newcastle to rush Livramento
It would be a real shock if Livramento does start against Aston Villa. As Lineker says, Newcastle do have the option of playing Trippier on the left, but that would be a major surprise on the opening weekend of the season.
Instead, Livramento is going to have to bide his time and wait for his opportunity. It will eventually come, once Newcastle’s fixtures begin to pile up.
That is why Shearer believes it will be a few months before the youngster begins to prove his worth, and he is surely spot on.