Newcastle United are reportedly worried that they might be unable to prevent Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) from signing Bruno Guimaraes, a player valued at £100 million, with a potential approach expected imminently.
Guimaraes was the first major acquisition under the Saudi Public Investment Fund’s ownership at St James’ Park, arriving from Lyon for £40 million. He made an immediate impact, scoring five goals and providing one assist in his first 17 Premier League appearances.
In his first full season, the Brazilian midfielder scored four league goals and contributed five assists. This performance improved in the recent campaign, where he notched seven goals and eight assists.
Guimaraes has been a standout player for Newcastle, outperforming most of his teammates, and it appears increasingly likely that he might move to a more prominent club.
Arsenal, Manchester City, and PSG have all shown interest in him recently.
These clubs are financially capable of activating his £100 million release clause, which is applicable for part of the summer transfer window.
According to GIVEMESPORT, Newcastle perceives PSG as the most significant threat to retaining Guimaraes. They are reportedly ‘confident’ that the French club poses the biggest risk to their efforts to keep him at St James’ Park.
Newcastle fears that they would be powerless to stop Guimaraes from leaving if PSG or another club triggers his release clause. This clause allows interested parties to negotiate directly with him, leaving Newcastle without a means to retain their star midfielder.
Additionally, there is a belief that PSG could persuade Guimaraes to join them, particularly since Newcastle will not be competing in European tournaments. Newcastle finished seventh in the Premier League, which would typically qualify them for the Europa Conference League. However, due to Manchester United winning the FA Cup and securing a Europa League spot, Chelsea was awarded the Conference League spot.
Guimaraes has consistently played in either the Champions League or Europa League in three of the last four seasons. Despite manager Eddie Howe’s confidence that the absence of European competition will not affect the team, it is unlikely that Guimaraes would prefer to miss out on these prestigious tournaments.
PSG, with their Champions League participation and ability to offer lucrative wages, presents an attractive option for the Brazilian midfielder.
The report suggests that PSG is ‘seriously considering’ making a formal move for Guimaraes soon.
Thus, the future of Newcastle’s star player could be determined in the coming days.
