“It was the right decision” – Tino Livramento reveals why he opted to leave Chelsea
Southampton defender Tino Livramento insists he made the right decision by leaving Chelsea last summer.
The 19-year-old right-back departed Stamford Bridge in August. It had become clear that first-team opportunities would be limited due to the excellent options the Blues have in his position, such as Reece James and Cesar Azpilicueta.
Lift off for Tino! 🚀
A first senior goal for @tino_livramento when #SaintsFC faced #BurnleyFC in October: https://t.co/dzR23pMLHi
Livramento left the club he had been at since 2009 without making a senior appearance. The Saints bought the England U21 international for £5 million, according to Transfermarkt and he has enjoyed an incredibly impressive debut year.
The full-back has made 30 appearances this season after quickly securing a starting spot at the South Coast club. The teenager recently admitted that leaving his boyhood club was a massive decision. He told Hampshire Live:
"You look back, and I didn’t have many changes through the academy, I stayed at Chelsea and signed every contract that they gave me. Taking that step to decide to leave was massive but it was well thought out. I took a lot of time and a lot of reasoning. At the end of the day, I just wanted to play first-team football consistently."
“I didn’t realize I would play so much so early on but I realized I would probably get more opportunities than I maybe would have got at Chelsea. It was the right decision for me, I felt. Maybe not everyone would have done what I did, and I am not saying what I did would work for everyone. But I looked at it for myself and ultimately, it was what I felt was right for me.”
Thomas Tuchel has revealed that his plan was for Tino Livramento to go on loan this season, but the ex-Chelsea Academy POTY saw differently & seeked a move elsewhere. #CFC #SaintsFC https://t.co/uiaWLHlXy8
Chelsea aiming to fend off Real Madrid's interest in star full-back
Hampshire Live also reports that Livramento has a buy-back clause in his Southampton contract. This means the Blues can re-sign him for £25 million if they so wish.
That may become a necessity if the London club loses another of their academy products in Reece James.
According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, Real Madrid are keen on signing the right-back. Los Blancos are reportedly ready to spend €70 million euros to secure the 22-year-old right-back's services. Manager Carlo Ancelotti is looking to replace the aging Dani Carvajal, whose performances have been on the decline in recent months.
James has been a key figure in the Blues' defense ever since the Englishman broke into the first team after returning from a loan spell at Wigan Athletic in 2019. He played every minute of Chelsea's Champions League final win against Manchester City in Porto last May.
Reece James and Ben Chilwell started 5 Premier League games together this season…
Our combined scores in those games was 18-1. 🤯 https://t.co/korbf1remg