It is becoming one of the biggest developing transfer stories in English football, a story that is slowly turning into a storm that nobody at Newcastle wants to face, but everybody in Manchester City can already feel confident about. The name Tino Livramento has started shaking the Premier League, not because he is creating controversies, not because he is fighting with teammates, but because one of the best managers in football history has placed his eyes on him, and when Pep Guardiola wants a player, the whole football world knows the ending of the story already. People can pretend, clubs can resist, fans can shout, journalists can argue, but the truth is simple and cold like winter: if Pep decides that a footballer fits the Manchester City project, that transfer becomes a matter of time. And now, according to strong predictions from one of the most experienced figures in football executive management, Keith Wyness, Tino Livramento’s future may already be written even if Newcastle fans are not ready to accept that reality.
Newcastle United were supposed to enjoy peace after Livramento returned from injury, after he played that unbelievable 90 minutes where Newcastle shocked Manchester City 2-1 in the Premier League. That match was supposed to be a symbol of strength, a message to the league that Newcastle were growing and becoming a force. But that match did something else. It opened Pep Guardiola’s eyes wider than ever. It made Guardiola take notes. It made Guardiola start planning. One performance, one night, one football masterclass from a 23-year-old defender suddenly changed transfer plans, defensive plans, and future squad planning at the Etihad. Newcastle thought they only won three points that night, but they might have paid with something more valuable than a result. Sometimes a victory becomes the beginning of a loss.
Keith Wyness, the former CEO of Aberdeen, Aston Villa, and Everton, a man who has worked closely in the highest rooms of elite football boardrooms, was not speaking out of excitement or guesswork when he made his statement. He was speaking from the mindset of experience. On the Inside Track podcast, he said something that is now traveling everywhere across the football world: “I’ve got a feeling he is going to be going to City. Pep wants him and Pep will get him.” That statement came out like thunder. Because Wyness did not speak like someone analyzing a normal transfer story. He spoke like someone who already knows the direction of the wind, the reality behind the scenes. He even admitted that Livramento is saying the right things, saying he loves Newcastle, saying he wants to stay, but those public comments will not stop the pull of Manchester City. According to Wyness, the Champions League, the title fights, and the irresistible attraction of learning from Pep Guardiola himself may simply be too strong to reject.
Newcastle are trying their best to fight the situation. They are already planning contract talks, already working on strengthening Livramento’s commitment to the project, already offering emotional and sporting reasons for him to stay at St James’ Park. Eddie Howe does not want to lose him. The fans do not want to lose him. The dressing room does not want to lose him. Livramento himself has publicly smiled and spoken positively about Newcastle. But football sometimes is not about today. It is about the career that a player dreams of, the trophies they imagine lifting, the stadiums they want to step into, the level they want to reach in their prime. And to many players in the world today, playing under Pep Guardiola is like going to the university of football perfection.
Manchester City see Livramento not just as another right-back. They see him as a defender who can transform the entire shape of the backline. Someone who can play inverted, someone who can play advanced, someone who can function as a tactical weapon in multiple systems. Pep Guardiola has turned unknown players into world beaters, and has turned good defenders into elite global superstars. Imagine what he can turn Livramento into. Manchester City have already dominated the Premier League for many years, yet people believe the second chapter of their dominance is coming, and Livramento may be a part of the evolution.
Right now, nobody inside Newcastle wants to admit the truth out loud. Not the press office. Not the fans. Not the club directors. But inside the football world, many people believe the transfer is going to happen. The question is no longer if the question is when. And Wyness said it with confidence — the end of the season. That is when the real bids will come, when the transfer negotiation war will begin, when Manchester City will test Newcastle’s strength, test Livramento’s loyalty, and test the emotional power of money, success, and Champions League football.
The irony is painful. Newcastle are trying to grow into a powerful superclub capable of fighting for trophies, but one of the most important steps in becoming a superclub is keeping your best young talents. If they can’t keep Livramento, the message to the world becomes clear: Newcastle are still not at the level of Manchester City. This is not just about football tactics. This is about pride and identity. For Newcastle supporters, Livramento has become more than a footballer. He represents hope. He represents the new era. He represents what Newcastle want to become. Losing him would feel like going backwards in a dream that was supposed to only move forward.
But this story becomes even more dramatic because there might be a swap-business connection. The same report explains that James Trafford could be allowed to leave Manchester City for Newcastle. Trafford has become second choice at the Etihad after Donnarumma became Guardiola’s preferred first-choice goalkeeper. So Manchester City are open to letting Trafford go, either permanently or on loan, because they care about his game time and because they are functioning like a club that controls these transfer chess games with style. And Newcastle need a goalkeeper for the future. And that is where the puzzle becomes fascinating. It is possible that instead of a cold transfer war, this could become a transfer relationship. Livramento to Manchester City and Trafford to Newcastle. Maybe not officially in a direct swap deal, but the two transfers could mirror each other like a reflection in water.
Imagine the headlines in the summer. Newcastle say goodbye to Livramento, but they welcome Trafford. Manchester City say goodbye to Trafford, but they welcome Livramento. Both clubs get something, but the emotional impact is not equal. Manchester City get a defender who fits the elite Champions League level. Newcastle get a promising goalkeeper but lose a generational full-back. The Premier League does not treat clubs fairly. The bigger clubs win more often, not because they cheat but because they can offer more than others. They can attract players with trophies, with glory, with history, with worldwide prestige. That is how football has worked for decades.
But the biggest emotional part is Livramento himself. He is young. He is ambitious. He came back from injury with hunger and strength. But what many people forget is that players have dreams before they have club loyalty. They dream of the biggest nights, the loudest stadiums, the biggest trophies. And right now, the Champions League is a magnet that can twist even the strongest commitment. Newcastle are not in that competition every season. Manchester City are there every year, and they are expected to win it. Some footballers wait their whole career for that moment. Some footballers do not wait long.
So, imagine Livramento late at night, thinking in silence. Staying in Newcastle means love, comfort, loyalty, support, and development. Going to Manchester City means the highest level of football in the world. It becomes a battle between heart and ambition. But in football history, ambition wins more often than heart. That is why Wyness felt so confident in his words. He has seen this movie before. He knows how it normally ends.
Some Newcastle fans will call Livramento a traitor if he leaves. Some will say he should be loyal. But football is not romance. Football is brutal. Clubs can replace players in one second if things go bad. So when players choose to upgrade their careers, nobody should blame them. However, emotion is stronger than logic in football. If Livramento signs for Manchester City, St James’ Park will feel betrayed, and the Premier League will witness another chapter of the strong eating the strong.
The end of the season is approaching slowly, but this transfer story has already entered motion. Manchester City fans are already excited. Newcastle fans are already worried. Pundits are already talking. Journalists are already preparing headlines. And somewhere, Pep Guardiola is already smiling because he knows what he wants and knows what is possible. The Premier League is a jungle. And right now, one of the most talented young defenders in England is standing at the center of it.
No matter how Newcastle negotiate, no matter how they push for contract talks, no matter how Livramento publicly says he is happy at the club, football destiny might still take him to Manchester City. If the Etihad calls loudly enough, history shows that the answer is usually yes. And when that moment comes, Keith Wyness will look back and say, “I told you so.”
