Arsenal get closer to signing Bruno Guimaraes while Newcastle looks for a new unexpected replacement
Eddie Howe’s surprise departure from Newcastle United was confirmed on Thursday morning, and here’s what it could mean for Bruno Guimaraes’ future.
After nearly five years, 231 games, and a 46.9% win rate in the Premier League, Howe left St James’ Park following a tough start to the summer. He had told the club weeks ago that he wanted to leave but waited until they found a new manager. Matthias Jaissle, currently managing Al Ahli, is now the favorite to step in.
Howe decided to go after Newcastle sold two of their top players: Anthony Gordon joined Barcelona, and Sandro Tonali moved to Tottenham — together bringing in about £170 million. He also knew more star players might be leaving, with Arsenal closing in on captain Bruno Guimaraes.
The Brazilian midfielder is interested in moving to Arsenal. Unlike last summer’s situation with Alexander Isak, he won’t push for a transfer, but a deal is getting closer. Arsenal offered £70 million earlier this month, but Newcastle wants over £80 million, even though Guimaraes has just two years left on his contract.
According to BBC Sport, Arsenal hopes to “agree a deal” soon, possibly meeting Newcastle’s price. The move seems likely and isn’t linked to Howe’s decision to step down, which makes Guimaraes’ transfer even more probable.
Newcastle brought Guimaraes from Lyon for £40 million in early 2022. Since then, he’s become one of the Premier League’s best midfielders, with 63 goal contributions in 195 games. If he leaves for north London, he’ll definitely be missed.
Newcastle has already spotted Porto’s midfielder Victor Froholdt as their main choice to replace Guimaraes. But Porto wants nearly €85 million (£73.6 million), which could make talks tough. Because of this, Newcastle is also looking at other options.
ESPN’s Bruno Andrade shared that the club is “advanced” in talks with one unnamed midfielder, and Bayern Munich’s Joao Palhinha is another possible pick. Palhinha, a Portuguese defensive midfielder, was on loan at Tottenham last season, where he scored five goals and had two assists in 33 games. Tottenham chose not to buy him for £26 million, so Newcastle sees him as a strong replacement for Guimaraes.
In short, Newcastle is preparing for some big changes, but it looks like they’re working hard to find the right players to keep the team strong.