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Manchester City briefly considered a move for Tino Livramento in the summer and they are admirers of Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes as well.
It has been nearly 17 years since Manchester City last signed a player from Newcastle United, the £6million arrival of Shay Given in February 2009 coming in the early days of the Abu Dhabi era.
It's not for the want of trying that nobody has moved to Manchester from the North East since then. City have held a strong interest in full-back Tino Livramento and midfielder Bruno Guimaraes in recent seasons, but both remain at St James' Park and could line up against the Blues this weekend.
Some would position these two clubs as equals now, with Newcastle enjoying significant backing of their own from Saudi Arabia, but in the modern era, they have struggled to make the most of the funding available to them. City's revenue far outstrips Newcastle's and in an era of Profit and Sustainability rules (PSR), that means something.
While City sit comfortably within their PSR limits, Newcastle have come close to breaching it, and Champions League qualification on the last day of last season dramatically changed the picture for them. Had they been a Europa League club this season, Livramento might be at the Etihad now.
The 22-year-old is a player City like as they look for a long-term solution at right-back. Matheus Nunes is enjoying his strongest run of form in that position, but Livramento is likely to remain on the radar for when an upgrade is required, which is likely to be next summer.
Admiration for Guimaraes dates back longer than that at City, and the 28-year-old Brazil international has been a player they considered as part of a midfield rebuild. Newcastle have been able to quote astronomical fees for him and that has put suitors off. He is clearly devoted to the Toon.
Nico Gonzalez, Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki have all arrived instead in 2025 at a combined cost of £130million. That trio of midfielders were only marginally more expensive than the kind of fee Newcastle have pushed for their main man. Given those signings and Guimaraes' age, that is probably a deal that has now passed its sell-by date, unlike Livramento.
Newcastle's need to sell has eased after extracting £125million from Liverpool for Alexander Isak, but they have built a strong squad and one that will expect to be playing Champions League football every season. In the Premier League, they have started this campaign poorly.
Ahead of Saturday's meeting with City, they are 14th and only a couple of points above the relegation zone. They will clearly rise up the table as the season progresses, but if they miss out on the Champions League, the financial pressure might increase, and it could lead to some players seeking a new challenge.
So if City do still have an interest in Livramento and Guimaraes, winning at St James' this weekend could go some way to making a deal more likely.
They pulled away from a move for Livramento early last summer when it became clear Newcastle had no need to sell and could demand a premium fee. It might be a different story in 2026 and that could yet mean the two clubs doing business again next year.
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