“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.

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.”

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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.