EDDIE HOWE has admitted his liking for Tino Livramento, as a deal for the Southampton defender moves closer.

Newcastle United officials agreed a deal for Livramento yesterday, with the Magpies set to pay around £35m for the 20-year-old full-back.

Southampton have given Livramento permission to travel to the North-East to complete the move, and a medical is expected to take place within the next 24 hours.

Speaking at a press conference to preview this weekend’s Sela Cup, when Newcastle will play matches against Fiorentina and Villarreal, Howe was reluctant to say too much about the ongoing discussions.

However, he conceded his admiration for Livramento, who is regarded as one of the most exciting defensive prospects in the country despite Southampton’s relegation to the Championship last season.

Howe said: “I am slightly in the dark. Let’s see what happens in the next couple of days, but certainly I like the player.”

Livramento missed almost all of last season with serious knee-ligament damage after sustaining the injury in the final weeks of the previous campaign.

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He returned to make substitute appearances in Southampton’s final two games of last season, and proved his wellbeing by participating in Saints’ pre-season programme this summer.

There is a risk attached in signing any player who has undergone a previous serious injury, but while he did not want to discuss the specifics of Livramento’s situation in his press briefing, Howe is clearly comfortable with the prospect of signing someone who has spent the best part of 12 months on the sidelines.

He said: “Without talking directly on Tino, just on the general subject of the question, that’s why we do thorough medicals. That’ll be down to that aspect of the football club to make sure any player we sign is in good physical condition.”