Bruno Guimaraes is arguably the best centre midfielder Newcastle United have ever seen, and he is now being compared to Hatem Ben Arfa – a winger.
That is who pundit Darren Bent thinks Bruno is most like, which is an incredibly strange comparison.
The Brazil international is the talk of the Toon at the moment, putting in a man of the match display against Brentford at the weekend.
He was the star of the show at St James’ Park, scoring twice and dominating the middle of the pitch.
The most exciting thing is that Bruno can play at this level on a consistent basis. Every time he plays for Newcastle, you could argue that he’s the best players on the pitch.
Watching him represent Newcastle is a real joy, and he is the type of player who will take us to the next level. But how on earth is he like Ben Arfa?!
Bruno compared to Ben Arfa
Former Sunderland striker Darren Bent has been talking about Bruno on TalkSPORT, and likened him to the 35-year-old.
“He reminds me of Ben Arfa,” he said.
“They always get these type of players, a little bit maverick but have got all the ability. The only difference between him and Ben Arfa is that I think he will be a little bit more consistent.
“Whereas Ben Arfa would sometimes go missing. But when he’d turn it on, he’d turn it on. They kind of remind me of the same person.”
The worst thing is that rather than challenge him, host Andy Goldstein says: “You know what, that is bang on the money.”
What planet are these people on?!
Crazy comparison by Bent
If Bent was talking about Allan Saint-Maximin then fair enough. He is very comparable to Ben Arfa with his flair and dribbling ability. But Bruno? Not at all.
The only way they are alike is how the fans reacted to them. The Toon Army loved Ben Arfa. He cost £5million in 2011, but was an absolute superstar. He could have been a really special player, but his career hasn’t gone in the direction it should have.
Bruno is also toasted as a hero on Tyneside, but he will go on to become a club legend. He is everything you would want in a midfielder.
His passing range is exceptional – he can go short and long. He’s combative, snapping into tackles and reading the game expertly.
And as we saw on Saturday he’s got an eye for goal.
Newcastle fans loved Ben Arfa, and they now love Bruno. However, they are not alike at all. One was a maverick winger with all the skill in the world. The other is Bruno Guimaraes – a complete centre midfielder who has it all in his locker.
You begin to wonder if these pundits actually watch football…
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