Eddie Howe will be a very happy man if Newcastle United complete a deal for Bruno Guimaraes.
The Magpies reportedly made their move on Tuesday, offering Lyon £33.5million for the midfielder. It was even claimed in Brazil that the bid was accepted, although that appears to be wide of the mark at the moment.
But multiple outlets have reported on Newcastle’s bid for the 24-year-old, and the Athletic have claimed that he is interested in joining the club.
That’s a massive step, as he is a wildly ambitious target. He’s been linked with Arsenal, while Juventus are also reportedly keen.
But it’s Newcastle who’ve made the move for the Brazilian centre-midfielder, and he could fill a gaping hole in Eddie Howe’s side.
Bruno Guimaraes is Newcastle’s ‘top’ midfield target
The Athletic’s David Ornstein spoke about Newcastle’s move for Guimaraes on BBC’s Transfer Gossip Daily podcast, and discussed how highly rated he is at St James’ Park.
“I’ve spoken to people around this situation and they say he was Newcastle’s top midfield target,” Ornstein said.
“He’s everything that Eddie Howe wants, and at this point in the market you need to move quickly, and that’s what they’ve done by the looks of it. They’ve made an offer that is to the valuation, reportedly €40million, that Lyon were looking for. And we’re told the player is keen to join Newcastle.
“If they pull that off, and it’s an if because to my knowledge the bid hasn’t been accepted yet and there’s still a bit of work to do, then it would potentially be a spectacular signing. He’s so highly rated.”
Blockbuster deal if Newcastle can get it done
If Newcastle can get this deal over the line, it would be a real landmark arrival.
Our signings so far have been decent, but sensible. Kieran Trippier was a real coup, but we were aided by the player’s desire to return to England. As for Chris Wood, he arrived from a relegation rival after we activated his release clause.
But Guimaraes would represent something different. He’s currently at Lyon, who are struggling in Ligue 1 this season. They’re currently 11th in the table. The three-time Brazil international has been there since January 2020, and has featured in the Champions League for the French side.
And at 24, his best years are still ahead of him. Our other two signings are in their 30s.
We’ve struggled to land young players, who are no doubt skeptical about the current state of Newcastle. A move here could set their career back at a vital time.
Therefore, signing Guimaraes would buck the trend. And, as Ornstein said, he’s ‘everything’ Howe wants in a midfielder.
He’s strong in possession and can break the defensive lines with his passing. He protects the defence too, capable of breaking up play and winning back the ball. He’s a complete midfielder, and trumps every other option at Newcastle right now.
We have Jonjo Shelvey who has brilliant passing. Isaac Hayden can break up play. Joe Willock is (or at least was) a goal threat. Sean Longstaff has a great engine. But Guimaraes could roll all those qualities into one.
Get this deal done and Newcastle could have a superstar on their hands.
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