Newcastle United will only face Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho once more.
The Brazilian announced on Tuesday that he will be leaving the Etihad this summer, with his contract set to expire.
The Manchester City captain has been playing in England since 2013, winning four league titles, one FA Cup and six League Cups. His honours list could increase even further this season.
But he has confirmed that it will be his last with Man City, stating his intentions to return to Brazil.
He’s featured against Newcastle plenty of times during his nine-year stay in England, but the clash on May 8th will be the last time he faces the Magpies.
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And with Fernandinho set to depart, it shows how lucky Newcastle were to land his fellow countryman in January.
Bruno Guimaraes could’ve been a Fernandinho replacement for Man City
Bruno Guimaraes is already a fan favourite at Newcastle. He joined the Magpies from Lyon, costing a fee that could rise to £42million.
There was previously interest from Arsenal, but Eddie Howe was able to snatch the midfielder from underneath their noses.
And Bruno has quickly proved that he could play for a team much higher up the Premier League table. Newcastle are incredibly lucky to have him.
In fact, maybe he could even do a job for Manchester City. He feels like the kind of player who could replace Fernandinho at the Etihad.
He’s incredibly astute defensively, which is what Fernandinho has brought to the Man City midfield for so many years. Bruno is great on the ball too, boasting an incredible passing range. He’s comfortable with possession anywhere on the pitch – a skil deemed vital by Pep Guardiola.
Guimaraes wouldn’t be a starter for Manchester City. The defensive midfield position belongs to Rodri now.
But given what we’ve seen from our new number 39 so far, he certainly has the qualities to be a Pep Guardiola player – or at least be moulded into one.
Perhaps if Bruno hadn’t joined Newcastle in January, Man City would be looking to snap him up in the summer to replace the outgoing Fernandinho.
Luckily Bruno is a Magpie, and hopefully he’s here for the long haul.