‘When they want him’: PL chief executive suggests he’d sell 19-year-old star to Liverpool if they bid

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Southampton chief executive Martin Semmens has said that he would sell Tino Livramento to Liverpool if they came in for him.

Semmens made the comments about The Reds on BBC 5 Live Sport’s The Monday Night Club (21mins 25secs) last night.

“People assume we want to sell players to make money,” said Semmens

“It has absolutely nothing to do with money, it’s to do with the pathway. If you don’t let Tino Livramento go to Liverpool one day when they want him, then the next one doesn’t come in.”

Although Semmens is using Liverpool in a hypothetical scenario here, it’s interesting nonetheless.

The Reds have profited from Southampton’s willingness to let their best players move in the past. No fewer than six players have arrived on Merseyside from the South Coast since 2014.

Semmens now says that it’s all part of the plan at the club.

“We make sure we improve them on a daily basis and then when Liverpool do call and go “we want that player”, you have to let them go, or the next young one coming out of the Man City academy goes “I don’t want to come, because you won’t let me go””, the Chief Executive said.

“If you don’t give people the view that they could replace Sadio Mane at Liverpool, they don’t want to be here, they don’t want to work”.

Should Liverpool be interested

It’s an intriguing admission from Semmens. Although it makes a lot of sense, few clubs will openly admit to being a stepping stone to bigger things.

That doesn’t mean that they’ll let their players go on the cheap, though. Liverpool’s record signing remains the £75m they paid Southampton for Virgil Van Dijk in 2018.

Livramento has been excellent this season. He was highly regarded at Chelsea. But having rejected an extension to his contract there in the summer, he made a £5m move to Saints in order to get game time.

He’s certainly done that. Having been in 19 of Ralph Hassenhuttl’s 24 starting line-up’s, he has established himself as one of the leagues most promising right-back’s.

As the player is just 19-years-old, there’s no rush for Liverpool to jump in. It is a position that Jurgen Klopp could be looking to strengthen though, as he looks for a permanent back-up to Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Livramento though, looks destined for bigger things than playing second fiddle. For the money that he would likely fetch, Liverpool should have other priorities.

Given Semmens comments though, Liverpool fans should keep an eye on Southampton for any other players who may be of interest.