Football news - Southampton announce signing of 18-year-old Tino Livramento from Chelsea on five-year contract
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Updated 02/08/2021 at 18:50 GMT
Livramento's departure will do little to alay concerns around Stamford Bridge that the club are losing too many talented youngsters. Cobham graduates Mason Mount and Reece James dazzled in Chelsea's Champion League triumph last season, but Livramento joins a string of academy talents in seeking pastures new this summer.
Tino Livramento poses for a photograph after signing a long term contract at Southampton FC from Chelsea at the Staplewood Campus on August 02, 2021 in Southampton, England.
Image credit: Getty Images
Southampton have announced the signing of 18-year-old Tino Livramento from Chelsea on a five-year deal.
The Daily Mail reported last night that the fee involved was around £5 million, whilst Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has confirmed there is a buy-back clause in the arrangement.
Named Chelsea's Academy Player of the Year in May, Livramento revealed conversations with his father helped him decide his move to the south coast, amidst interest from several Premier League clubs.
"I've been discussing with my dad about what we thought was best for my future", Livramento said.
We felt like this was the right time for it to happen and for me to move on. To have interest from a few top clubs, to choose Southampton was sort of a no-brainer. They are a solid Premier League club and the manager was quite a big factor as to why I wanted to come here and why I wanted to play for Southampton.
His new boss Ralph Hasenhüttl voiced his admiration for the player, who starred at both full-back and wing-back in Chelsea's under 23's.
"He is one of the best young players in his position in the country and there were a lot of clubs who were interested in signing him, but finally he chose to join us," Hassenhüttl said.
I think he has made a very good choice, and this will be an excellent place for him to continue his development and hopefully reach his full potential. He is very much in line with the profile of player we want and I think he will adapt very well to our system and methods.
"To be around the first team of Chelsea at his age speaks about his ability.”
An Instagram post by the youngster this morning confirmed his departure hours before the official announcement.
“After 10 amazing years of playing for the only club that I’ve supported since a child, I’m taking the next big step in my career,” Livramento wrote.
“It’s been a difficult decision, but I feel it’s the right one to make at this stage of my development.”
Livramento’s departure marks the loss of another talented youngster from Stamford Bridge this summer.
He arrives at St Mary’s soon to meet a familiar face, with Southampton already having signed 19-year-old defender Dynel Simeu from the Blues last week.
Fikayo Tomori’s move to Milan was made permanent at the season’s close, before fellow young centre-back Marc Guehi made the shorter trip to Crystal Palace in July.
There have also been Premier League moves for Lewis Bate and Myles Peart-Harris, to Leeds and Brentford respectively, as rumours continue to swirl around the future of Tammy Abraham.
The forward netted the winning goal in a pre-season fixture at Arsenal only yesterday, but an ongoing deadlock over a new deal twinned with a lack of game-time under Thomas Tuchel has led many to speculate he could follow the aforementioned young Blues out the door.
Livramento’s sale takes Chelsea’s summer intake of funds close to the £60 million mark, but as yet Marcus Bettinelli’s arrival on a free transfer from Fulham remains their only signing.
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