Exclusive: Newcastle to ‘open contract talks’ with hugely influential star as telling Man City blow delivered

Rudy Galetti 07 Feb 2025 10:14 AM

Newcastle are set to offer Bruno Guimaraes a contract extension

Newcastle are working hard to tie Bruno Guimaraes down to a new long-term contract to stave off confirmed interest from Barcelona and Manchester City, TEAMtalk understands.

The 27-year-old has played a major role in the Magpies’ rise under Eddie Howe and performed brilliantly again as they beat Arsenal in the Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday.

Guimaraes‘ current contract at St James’ Park is set to expire in 2028 after he signed an extension in November 2023. His latest deal initially included a £100m release clause, but it expired last summer.

A number of sides have shown interest in the Brazilian international. Sources state that Barcelona consider him a top target for the summer, after having already tried to sign him last year, and could make a big-money move for him if they sell Frenkie de Jong.

Man City are also long-term admirers of Guimaraes and are monitoring his situation. Pep Guardiola is a big fan of the player and the Cityzens would jump at the chance to sign him should they get any encouragement that a deal is possible.

Man City signed Nico Gonzalez from Porto for £50m in January but they are still planning to bring in another midfielder at the end of the season.

Guimaraes would be Man City’s dream target and Newcastle are well aware of the interest, hence why they want to act now to prevent him from going anywhere.

Newcastle to open Bruno Guimaraes contract talks – sources

Guimaraes has made 30 appearances across all competitions for Newcastle this season, notching two goals and eight assists in the process.

The midfielder is arguably still Newcastle’s most important player, even if superstar striker Alexander Isak has been on fire this season, with 19 goals up to now.

TEAMtalk can reveal that Newcastle are set to hold talks with Guimaraes and his agents in the coming weeks and hope to get a contract extension finalised as soon as possible.

The new deal isn’t just about preventing a transfer away from Tyneside, but also about recognizing his value and continued contributions to the team.

It’s likely a salary increase will be offered to Guimaraes, but Newcastle do have a firm wage structure and therefore any new deal is not expected to be significantly north of the £160,000 per week he’s currently on, according to Capology.

Newcastle boss Howe has never hidden his admiration for Guimaraes and those feelings are mutual, as evidenced by the midfielder’s comments following the big win over Arsenal on Wednesday.

“For me, he’s amazing [Eddie Howe]. We could not have a better manager than him, since he signed for the club, the club improved a lot,” Guimaraes said.

“I think for today he won the game in pre-match, I think the shape was perfect, it was very, very smart. He deserves the credit.”

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