Good news for Arsenal as Bruno Guimaraes’ transfer gets a boost, with Newcastle United already spotting their perfect replacement – report
Arsenal might finally be getting closer to signing Bruno Guimaraes, as Newcastle United have found someone to replace him.
It’s been a tough summer for Newcastle so far. Since the transfer window opened on June 15, the club has lost some important players like Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali, and Kieran Trippier.
Even though Newcastle made around £170 million from selling Gordon and Tonali to Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur, fans haven’t seen a big signing come in yet, which has been a bit worrying.
Things got harder when it became clear that captain Bruno Guimaraes also wants to leave St James’ Park. Arsenal, the current Premier League champions, are very interested in signing him.
Bruno has even put in a transfer request to try and make the move happen. Arsenal’s £55 million offer was rejected, but talks are still ongoing.
Now, there’s hope Arsenal might finally get their man. A report from Portugal’s Correio da Manhã says Newcastle have chosen Victor Froholdt as their main target to replace Guimaraes.
Froholdt plays for Porto and has been watched by Newcastle scouts several times last season. The reports about him were very positive, and Newcastle’s manager Eddie Howe is keen to sign the Danish midfielder.
However, it won’t be easy to get Froholdt, as Porto says they won’t sell him unless the fee is close to his €85 million (£73.6 million) release clause.
Since Froholdt only joined Porto last year on a five-year contract for €20 million (£17.3 million), Porto is in no hurry to sell their star player.
If Guimaraes leaves, Newcastle might also consider Hugo Larsson from Eintracht Frankfurt or Danilo from Botafogo, but Froholdt is still their top choice.
This news comes shortly after reports said Arsenal has made good progress in signing Guimaraes. talkSPORT says a verbal agreement for over £75 million has been reached, and the player has agreed personal terms.
However, Newcastle’s side denies any formal offer has been made and insists Guimaraes is not for sale this summer, even if he wants to leave. He still has two years left on his contract.
That said, since Alexander Isak left Liverpool in a similar situation, anything could still happen before the Premier League season starts next month.