Bruno Guimaraes skips Newcastle pre-season as Arsenal move closes in
The Brazil midfielder is reportedly staying away from the Magpies' training camp as a switch to the Emirates edges nearer.
Bruno Guimaraes will not report for pre-season duty with Newcastle United today, with the midfielder increasingly expected to secure a move to Arsenal before the window closes. The Brazil international had been due to travel with the squad to their training camp in La Manga, but he has now made clear he will not be taking part as the two clubs continue to work on a transfer.
The Gunners have been heavily linked with Guimaraes throughout this window, and Mikel Arteta has long identified the 28-year-old as his principal midfield target. With the player now seemingly prepared to force the issue, Arsenal supporters will hope an announcement is not far away. Guimaraes has been one of the Premier League's most accomplished midfielders since arriving on Tyneside, and his ability to dictate play from deep would give Arteta's side a different dimension in the middle of the park.
A difficult summer on Tyneside
For Newcastle, however, this represents another significant blow in what has become a deeply troubling transfer window. Having already lost Anthony Gordon to Barcelona and Sandro Tonali to Tottenham, the prospect of Guimaraes following them out of the exit door leaves the squad looking considerably weaker than the one which finished last season. Alexander Isak's departure to Liverpool in the previous summer had already started the decline, and the current exodus suggests the club's ambitious project is unravelling at speed.
There is also uncertainty in the dugout, with Eddie Howe reportedly set to leave his position as head coach just as the Guimaraes saga reaches its conclusion. That combination of events has left the club in a state of flux, and supporters are growing increasingly concerned about what lies ahead. The Premier League campaign is only weeks away, yet there appears to be little clarity over the direction the club is taking both on and off the pitch.
It was only two years ago that Newcastle were celebrating Carabao Cup glory and preparing for Champions League football, with Guimaraes very much at the heart of that success. The good times have quickly faded, however, and there is a real fear that this season could become a relegation battle if key players continue to leave and no adequate replacements are brought in. The squad has already lost its identity, and the absence of Guimaraes would only accelerate that slide.
From an Arsenal perspective, this is the kind of statement signing that could define their summer. Guimaraes arrives with proven quality in English football, and his leadership and composure would be invaluable in the title race. For the latest updates on this story and more, be sure to check our latest news.
Newcastle must now decide whether to dig in and demand a much higher fee, or accept that the player's mind is made up and reinvest the money elsewhere. There is no doubt that selling Guimaraes would be a painful decision, but keeping an unhappy player rarely ends well. Either way, the next few days look set to be decisive for both clubs, and the transfer could have major ramifications across the Premier League table.