Bruno Guimaraes’ future has dominated Newcastle United’s summer, but after days of speculation surrounding a possible direct flight to London, an imminent Arsenal medical, and a transfer request, the latest update points in a different direction.
According to ChronicleLive’s Lee Ryder, who has refuted all reports linking Bruno with a move to Arsenal throughout the summer, the Newcastle captain has left Brazil and is instead heading to the club’s preseason training camp in La Manga, where he is expected
to hold face-to-face talks with new head coach Matthias Jaissle.
Sky Sports’ Keith Downie also confirmed that Bruno failed to arrive at the pre-arranged date by Newcastle at La Manga, instead delaying his trip and now expected to arrive on Monday.
The update marks the latest twist in a transfer saga that has linked Guimaraes with Arsenal for weeks. While multiple outlets have reported progress toward a deal, Newcastle-linked outlets always maintained that Newcastle has yet to receive a formal bid from the Premier League champions.
Ryder reported Monday that Guimaraes took a commercial flight from Brazil on Sunday after agreeing his travel plans with Newcastle and is now set to link up with his teammates in Spain. The pundit later changed tone, admitting there is “interest yes, suitable bid no,” from Arsenal, hinting at offers already being on Newcastle’s table, just not reaching the figure demanded by the Magpies.
The Chronicle’s chief Newcastle writer also indicated that Jaissle’s first major task will be addressing the captain’s future.
“The captain is on his way to La Manga and all eyes is on what happens next,” Ryder wrote. “Guimaraes will meet up with his team-mates and should be involved in training ahead of Saturday’s clash with Valencia.
“He will speak to Matthias Jaissle on his future, and there could be some further fallout this week depending on what he communicates over his future when he speaks to the new Newcastle boss.”
The meeting between Guimaraes and Jaissle is now expected to be one of the first major talking points of the German coach’s tenure, with Arsenal’s pursuit still unresolved with less than a month before the transfer window closes.
