Bruno Guimarães' future at Newcastle uncertain

Future of Bruno Guimarães at Newcastle uncertain

Bruno Guimarães has a very special souvenir in his home. It's a top hat emblazoned with the words "Bruno's Magic Hat" - a reference to a song Newcastle United fans made up for him after his move from Lyon in 2022. Guimarães himself proudly repeated the words. The Brazilian player "could have signed for Arsenal," the song goes, but he wanted to "wear the famous black and white" instead. Newcastle were the first team to look for the player Mikel Arteta and his club had previously only watched. Guimarães even stated during his introduction that Newcastle could one day become a bigger club. But four and a half years later, Guimarães hints that he would now like to move to the red part of London. Following the high-profile departures of Sandro Tonali, Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak in the last 12 months, the question is whether Newcastle can really afford to lose their captain as well. “It would be alarming to lose Bruno” A shakeup in the Newcastle squad was planned for this summer anyway. After a settlement with UEFA, Newcastle had to raise money in order to be able to spend more money on transfers. Gordon moved to Barcelona for £69.3m while Tonali went to Tottenham Hotspur for up to £100m. These sales created scope for Newcastle to operate within football's financial constraints. There is a sober argument that this would be the right time to sell Guimarães, who turns 29 in November. But this argument fails to take into account Guimarães' true value to Newcastle. The Brazilian is the heart of the team. While Newcastle have lost many games in which Guimarães featured, it is telling that Newcastle have only won two of the 16 Premier League games in which Guimarães did not feature. Without Guimarães, Newcastle's stats in the league drop drastically: their win rate (12.5%), points per game (0.7), average goals scored (0.8) and even average goals conceded (1.6) all deteriorate. For Guimarães, however, the picture is completely different: According to Opta data, the win rate (50.7%), points per game (1.7), average goals scored (1.9) and average goals conceded (1.3) are significantly higher than when Guimarães does not play. Liam Phillips, egg n Newcastle season ticket holder, said he would be "absolutely devastated" if Guimarães leaves the club, especially as Guimarães' 2022 move symbolized "hope and ambition". "His departure would be very symbolic in terms of the direction of the project," Phillips said. "Newcastle have lost Isak, Gordon and Tonali recently. Losing a Bruno would be very alarming." A shift in transfer strategy When Guimarães moved to Newcastle, he was presented with a vision. The Newcastle club management, which at that point was still fighting to stay in the Premier League, said that they not only wanted to get into the Champions League, but that they ultimately wanted to win it. Newcastle have since managed to take part in the Champions League twice in a row, but are still a long way from winning the big prizes in the premier class. It was quite telling that Alexander Isak was keen to join Liverpool in the 2025 season despite Newcastle's Champions League participation. Because while Liverpool's income is far superior, Isak also wanted the opportunity to play for the biggest titles. Does Guimarães face a similar dilemma? After a rather disappointing season for Newcastle, which ended with 12th place in the league, Guimarães may feel that this is his last chance to win Premier League or Champions League titles should Arsenal actually make a bid for him. Guimarães may be loved on Tyneside, but does the 28-year-old have the patience to lead a new era at Newcastle filled with young players who will need time to mature? Newcastle have been able to keep their most important players so far, but the team that will be in 2025 after a seven-decade long period When I was finally able to win a title again after a dry spell, things have changed a lot. Of the 26 players pictured in the celebrating team photo after the EFL Cup win against Liverpool, 11 have now left the club. Some changes were overdue, but a delicate balance needs to be struck. Eddie Howe, the Newcastle manager, addressed this issue in one of the final press conferences of last season when he warned that the squad "must not deteriorate". However, the current squad has clear gaps. Newcastle are said to have made an offer for Freiburg midfielder Johan Manzambi, who is considered very talented. The signings of Bazoumana Toure (winger), Sean Steur (midfielder) and Ewen Jaouen (goalkeeper) were also completed. The focus on young players from European leagues is a strategy that other clubs have successfully implemented so far. Bournemouth, who finished sixth in the league last season, are an example of how to return to success after losing key players through clever signings and good coaching. But experience is also necessary and Guimarães is invaluable to Newcastle in that regard. His departure would mean that Newcastle's entire project planning would have to be called into question.