If there’s one man Newcastle United will be desperate to keep hold of this summer, it’s Bruno Guimaraes. Now it’s reported that talks have begun between the two parties over a new contract.
Bruno Guimaraes has quickly become one of the most popular figures at Newcastle in a very long time, thanks in part to his happy, smiling face, but mostly down to the fact that he’s a phenomenal footballer who helped turn the club around since joining for £40million in January last year.
Now The Chronicle has reported that an ‘open dialogue’ has begun between the club and Bruno’s representatives. over an improved deal which will see him extend his stay on Tyneside while warding off the likes of Real Madrid who have been said to be sniffing around lately.
Bruno was key in turning Newcastle’s fortunes around
Despite the fact that Bruno was seen as a more defensive midfielder when he was signed, it was actually his run of goalscoring form that helped Newcastle climb out of the relegation places and eventually finish 11th in the Premier League last season. His performances drew praise from all corners of the footballing world, but it was teammate, Fabian Schar who summed it up by calling him “unbelievable“.
There was talk in October via The Daily Mail that Bruno was to be offered £200,000-a-week contract at Newcastle as they looked to shatter their wage cap to ensure the Brazilian stayed at the club, but these reports were wide of the mark.
A few months on and contract talk has returned, but this one seems a lot more likely. Despite the 25-year-old still having three years left on his £120k-per-week deal and the player himself repeatedly declaring how happy he is at Newcastle, the club are aware that they need to do all they can to keep Bruno around.
The perfect man to build a team around
A player’s happiness, unfortunately, can be bought and if a big club like Real Madrid comes knocking, players tend to have their heads turned. Guimaraes admitted he was flattered by Real’s attention when they declared their interest in the summer, but he reiterated his desire to stay at Newcastle.
As Newcastle begin to prepare for next season, which also represents the next phase of the project put in place by Amanda Staveley and co, having a focal point like Bruno to build a team around is essential. His quality should be set as the bar for whomever we bring in going forward, and with Sven Botman already performing at that level, it seems that work has already begun to that end.