Bruno Guimaraes next move: FIVE clubs who should break the bank for Newcastle standout

TEAMtalk takes an in-depth look at five clubs who should look to splash the cash on one of the Premier League’s best midfielders Bruno Guimaraes this summer.

The news that Guimaraes’ Newcastle United contract includes a £100million buyout clause that will expire at the end of June has sparked frenzied speculation over which clubs will move for the midfielder this summer.

The Brazilian, whom the Magpies signed from Lyon in a £40m deal in January 2022, has played all but one of Newcastle’s Premier League games this season.

Manager Eddie Howe considers the 26-year-old a foundational player in his plans to get Newcastle back into the Champions League. He feels the club’s decision to put a timeframe on the release clause will help temper the transfer rumours around the player.

“Having that [release clause] was well planned and structured by the club,” Howe said.

“We don’t want constant speculation, it’s not healthy for the player or for us. It goes without saying we want to keep him, I want to build our team around him.”

Whether Guimaraes stays at St James Park, though, will depend on whether any of Europe’s biggest clubs meet his stipulated price tag.

Here are five sides who should consider moving for the player who has established himself as one of the Premier League’s top talents…

Manchester City

The reigning Treble champions have shown time and again their willingness to spend big on some of the Premier League’s best talent.

From the £40million acquisition of Nathan Ake, the £100million signing of Jack Grealish and the £25million arrival of Mateo Kovacic form Chelsea last summer, to the less successful Premier League purchases of Kalvin Phillips and Matheus Nunes.

Although they’d have to equal the club-record outlay they paid for Grealish in order to get him, City are said to be interested in Guimaraes and with good reason.

The 20-cap Brazil international has all the technical quality to thrive alongside Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne in Pep Guardiola’s midfield, while also bringing added elements with his physicality and ability to dribble through pressure in the middle third.

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Arsenal

Fellow title contenders Arsenal are another side credited with an interest in the Newcastle star, and the thought of lining him up next to Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard is equally as enticing as the potential City midfield.

The Gunners forked out £105million to sign another midfielder from a Premier League club last summer with the capture of Rice from West Ham. And the impact the England international had already made at the Emirates Stadium should convince Mikel Arteta that adding another player with proven pedigree in the English top flight would be a worthwhile move, even if a nine-figure fee is once again required.

With Thomas Partey’s future at the club uncertain, Guimaraes would be a stark upgrade. And his arrival would allow German attacking midfielder Kai Havertz to operate in the kind of advanced positions in which he is most effective.

Paris Saint-Germain

Never afraid to splash the cash, Paris Sant-Germain are also believed to be among the clubs interested in triggering Guimaraes’ release clause.

Luis Enrique’s side have all but clinched the Ligue 1 title with four games to spare, allowing them to focus fully on their upcoming Champions League semi-final showdown with Borussia Dortmund.

Given they’ve enjoyed such a stellar campaign, it hardly seems necessary for PSG to spend so heavily on a new signing. But in light on Kylian Mbappe’s imminent departure for Real Madrid as a free agent, the Parisians will be keen to add a fan-appeasing purchase. And Guimaraes has the skills to become the next face of the French champions.

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Real Madrid

Of all the potential midfield partnerships Guimaraes could foster if he is prised away from St James’ Park, it’s difficult to think of a more tantalising option than the one he could strike up with Jude Bellingham at Real Madrid – not to mention Toni Kroos, Fede Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni.

As that list of midfield luminaries shows, the 14-time champions of Europe are not short of options in the middle of the park. As such, Guimaraes’ addition would be considered something of an expensive luxury purchase – but when have Madrid ever let that stop them?

There is also the fact that Luka Modric’s contract at the Bernabeu is set to expire at the end of the current season. While they have enough talent to cope with the loss of the iconic Croatian playmaker, Guimaraes’ quality and skillset makes him a fine candidate to serve as Modric’s long-term heir.

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Man Utd

A move to from Newcastle to Manchester United at this stage would be regarded as a sideways step for Guimaraes, given both clubs are currently outside the Champions League-qualification positions and looking up at their distant rivals.

But if the Red Devils want to make a splash this summer to kick of their era of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s co-ownership and sporting control, snaring Guimaraes from a direct rival while fending off several of Europe’s elite to do so would be a huge statement of intent.

And United desperately need the kind of control, creativity and physicality the Brazilian would bring to their midfield, with Casemiro appearing a shadow of his former self and teenager Kobbie Mainoo too young to be expected to single-handedly prop them up centrally.