Newcastle United are confident of finalising a new long-term contract for Bruno Guimaraes, according to reports.
What's the latest on Bruno Guimaraes' future?
The Magpies midfielder first arrived in the Premier League from Lyon back in January 2022 and has since gone on to make a total of 57 appearances to date, establishing himself as a regular feature in the heart of Eddie Howe’s squad, starting 32 games from 38 this term.
The Brazilian international still has another three years remaining on his contract, but being the northeast outfit’s top-performing defensive player and third overall with a WhoScored match rating of 7.21, he’s been attracting interest ahead of the upcoming window.
The Times report that Barcelona are considering a summer move for the 25-year-old following his hugely influential campaign in the black and white stripes, but it sounds like neither PIF nor the boss are planning on letting him go anywhere.
Is Guimaraes leaving Newcastle?
According to 90min, Newcastle are “unconcerned” about Guimaraes being targeted by overseas clubs and they believe that negotiations regarding signing fresh terms are “very much on track”. Barcelona are once again credited with an admiration alongside Real Madrid, but it’s stated that the Magpies aren’t fearful that he’ll depart in the months ahead.
The St. James’ Park talisman is “very happy’ in the northeast and has been “in talks” about a new contract for “months”, so the club are therefore “confident” that an agreement will have been reached “before the new season begins”.
Should Newcastle keep or sell Guimaraes?
Newcastle will know what a sensational defensive midfielder they have got in Guimaraes who also has the appreciation of his teammates having been hailed “world-class” by Dan Burn, so making the decision to keep him and reward him with a new deal is nothing less than he deserves.
The World Cup participant, who pockets £120,000-per-week, recorded a total of 78 tackles during 2022/23 which was higher than any other member of Howe’s squad, as per FBRef, but he was also a threat at the opposite end of the pitch having posted nine goal contributions (five assists and four goals) in 32 top-flight outings.
Finally, Guimaraes has the versatility to operate slightly higher up in central midfield and even at centre-back alongside his natural position sitting just in front of the backline so is a great option for the manager to have at his disposal, and there’s no doubting that he will continue to be a massively important player in many more years to come, especially if he pens a new deal.
