The summer. A wonderful time of year.
Blistering heatwaves. Holidays. Ice cream vans. The World Cup. And, of course, the endless speculation about Newcastle United selling their entire first team squad.
United have had plenty of players linked away.
Most recently, Arsenal claimed to have approached Newcastle with a £55m offer for Bruno Guimaraes which was dismissed out of hand, according to the media reports.
The same reports saying that those in charge at St James’ Park have said that the NUFC captain isn’t for sale at any price.
Bruno Guimaraes apparently has two years left on his contract and the club with an option of another year that can be added. A similar situation as Sandro Tonali, although he has three years left on his Newcastle United contract, plus the club having the option of adding another season to that.
This though could be the last opportunity to make a large profit on the Brazilian.
If we got an offer of £80m+, could it be smart business to sell Bruno Guimaraes? We would bank double what we originally paid for him, having received four and a half years of exquisite service. If he doesn’t sign a new contract, you can bet his value will half and then fall further if staying for the second and final year of his current contract, though Newcastle then surely taking advantage of that option to add another year to take Bruno up to the end of June 2029. Surely, £80m and above would prove a fantastic deal for the Brazil international who turns 29 in November?
Not for me. Bruno is the absolute essence of our team. He’s the heartbeat, the rhythm, the pulse, the glue, the engine. Whatever analogy you wish to attach to our star, he is the main man.
I hadn’t heard of Bruno Guimaraes when we signed him. I’m not sure how many of us truthfully had. He quickly became a fan favourite and for me, he is already a club legend. If there is one player I don’t think we can afford to lose this summer, it is Mr G. He embodies the fight, flair and fervour that we want to see from our team.
Nobody knows what Bruno is thinking right now. Chances are he is fully focused on helping Brazil to their sixth World Cup trophy. But of all our players, I think he is the one we should forgive if he decided that it was now the time to move on and compete for trophies at the highest level.
The word world class is overused in modern football. Everyone has different opinions on what it means. For me, I would use it to describe someone who could get into any first team squad in the world. I believe Bruno could do that. The fact the reigning Premier League champions are sniffing around encapsulates that. I could see him fitting in at Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, PSG, anywhere.
The ideal outcome in the next month would be to upgrade him to a bumper five year contract. That would guarantee we have him next season. For the best chance of our 26/27 campaign being a success, we need him in our team. Knowing that he will be there will make us more attractive to potential incoming transfers too.
If he decides that he doesn’t want a new contract at this time, I would genuinely rather gamble and keep him than sell him to make a profit. Sure, his value will decrease sharply but, if we do well and get back into Europe, he may be inclined to sign a new deal next summer.
He’s been one of the top performers of the World Cup and that has only confirmed what we already know about him. He truly is a superstar. Three assists already, including a superb one for his most recent. More eyes will be on him than ever before.
Unlike that weed of a Swede, Bruno Guimaraes is an apex competitor. Even if he’d like a move away, I have no doubt he would give absolutely everything for the remaining years of his contract if we demanded he stayed.
If, at that point, he did opt to move on for free, then I think his destination would likely be one of the top clubs in Europe. I could picture him in a Barcelona or Real Madrid shirt, much as I try not to. If he gave us everything, helped us qualify for Europe again, maybe even notched up another trophy (we can but dream) he would leave an undisputed legend, and I don’t think a single fan would wish him ill. If he left for the continent, all the better. I would hate to see him remain in the Premier League and dominating the midfield in games against us.
We have to trade smartly, and every player has a price, but I think the value of Bruno goes beyond the cash a club is willing to offer. If I had a choice of £80m or two or three more seasons of Bruno in the middle, I know what I’d go for.
You can follow the author on Twitter @billymerlin