Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has admitted he cannot guarantee Bruno Guimaraes will remain at St. James’ Park, but insisted the club still wants its captain to stay despite the never-ending saga linking him with a move to Arsenal.
The Brazilian midfielder remains one of Arsenal’s top transfer targets, with multiple reports claiming the Premier League champions are preparing a formal bid — not yet submitted — after weeks of indirect negotiations, and the Daily Mail already claiming a £70 million
offer is already on Newcastle’s table.
In any case, Howe was expectedly forced to speak on the matter after Newcastle’s 1-1 preseason draw with Gateshead, and the Magpies manager revealed that he has remained in regular contact with Guimaraes throughout the summer.
However, Howe declined to speculate on how the situation will unfold while not closing the door on Bruno’s potential exit from Tyneside.
“I’ve had some really good conversations with him before the World Cup, during the World Cup and after the World Cup,” Howe said. “What we speak about has to remain private, but he’s just a great player, a great person. I don’t know what’s going to happen with Bruno’s future. That’s for other people to speculate about. They are conversations that I’m not part of.”
BBC Sport reported this week that Arsenal is preparing the aforementioned £70 million offer for the Brazil international, although Newcastle remains determined to keep the 28-year-old. The Daily Mail confirmed Guimaraes’ stance on a move to Arsenal, reporting that Bruno indeed wants to join the Premier League champions this summer.
Howe was also asked whether the situation mirrors last summer’s departure of Alexander Isak but rejected the comparison.
“You’ve got to look at it in its own right,” Howe said. “Bruno is the captain of our football club. He’s been an unbelievable player and person all through the time we have worked together. I speak on behalf of everyone at the football club. We absolutely love him and, of course, everyone will want him to stay.”
The Newcastle boss also pointed to Guimaraes’ scheduled return from his post-World Cup break as a reason for optimism.
“There’s nothing to say Bruno won’t be back training with us,” Howe said.
Bruno is expected to rejoin the squad on July 31 before Newcastle departs for its preseason training camp in Spain’s La Manga. Whether he remains on Tyneside beyond the end of the transfer window, however, appears likely to depend on whether Arsenal follows through with a formal offer or not.
