05 January 2024 , 11:35
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Eddie Howe has given his take on the prospect of selling Bruno Guimaraes.
Paris Saint-Germain are reported to be readying an “historic” £99m bid for the Brazilian playmaker in January. Understandably Howe was quick to dampen any prospect of that transfer being done any time soon when he fielded questions ahead of the FA Cup derby game against Sunderland.
Asked if Guimaraes could be sold he said: “I think when you are talking about your best players, you want them at the club as long as possible.”
But the reality is that Newcastle will be big money SELLERS as well as buyers in the near future. Guimaraes is the jewel in Newcastle’s midfield, which is also missing the banned £54m summer signing Sandro Tonali until August.
In my opinion there will be a debate among the Newcastle owners over when to cash in on a big star either in January, or more like this summer. Newcastle have spent around £375m on players since the Saudi PIF took over the club, and they are close to their limit under profit and sustainability rules which have held back the mega-rich owners from providing quick fixes.
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So at some point - and chief executive Darren Eales and Sporting Director Dan Ashworth have conceded this - Newcastle will become good sellers as well. Guimaraes recently signed a new contract which set an astronomical release clause, in the region of £100m.
He would be brilliant for PSG and wants to be a regular Champions League player, something Newcastle are unlikely to be able to offer next season. Bruno has also developed a genuine understanding and love for Newcastle as a club, and was a major catalyst for their rise to fourth place last season.
Bruno Guimaraes has been a standout for Newcastle (Getty Images)A sale would rip the heart out of Howe’s midfield, with Guimaraes’ presence key to the club winning games and making progress following his move in January two years ago for just £34m. Could Newcastle already have his replacement signed in Tonali? Could they reinvest the cash to strengthen the first team?
Those will be issues in the coming months as they plan a reboot for next season. My hunch is that Guimaraes has a “special club” in mind for his next move, more likely to be in La Liga with either Barcelona or Real Madrid - should either be able to afford the fee.
Newcastle fans will one day have to accept selling a big player - like Villa did with Jack Grealish, or Liverpool with Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho - to build again. But for now, and certainly in this transfer window, a sale would hurt the club’s ambitions, not enhance them.