Newcastle United’s midfield rebuild is moving quickly, and that has only added more intrigue around Bruno Guimaraes’ future in Tyneside.
According to The Mirror, Arsenal could be handed encouragement in its pursuit of the Newcastle captain as Newcastle surprisingly closes in on Ajax midfielder Sean Steur and prepares to pursue Freiburg’s Johan Manzambi.
“Arsenal could find themselves edging closer to landing Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes, as the Magpies bolster their midfield with the acquisition
of Sean Steur,” The Mirror reported.
Newcastle has reportedly agreed a deal worth £23 million, roughly €27 million, plus £3 million in add-ons for Steur, with the 18-year-old expected to travel to Tyneside for a medical before leaving Ajax for good.
The Mirror reported that Steur may not be Newcastle’s only midfield addition, with Manzambi also expected to become a target in the coming days, although with the Swiss now in the quarter-finals stage of the World Cup, it’s starting to look increasingly unlikely Newcastle can beat the competition for his signature.
“This could ultimately suggest that Newcastle are lining up a replacement for Guimaraes, should Arsenal manage to turn the North East club’s heads,” The Mirror reported.
Newcastle still insists Bruno is not for sale, but the report stated that a bid around £65 million, roughly €76 million, could receive serious consideration.
Arsenal previously made a verbal proposal of £45 million, roughly €53 million, which Newcastle rejected through intermediaries, as Bruno was still playing for Brazil.
With Bruno’s return to Newcastle after missing a potential game-winning penalty in Brazil’s World Cup exit against Norway happening in the next few days, the expectations are for talks over his future to accelerate.
For now, Newcastle’s stance is firm, but its midfield activity will keep Arsenal watching.
