Eddie Howe chat, £100m warning & La Manga tears – Inside Bruno Guimaraes’ £75m Newcastle United exit
Eddie Howe chat, £100m warning & La Manga tears – Inside Bruno Guimaraes’ £75m Newcastle United exit
4 – 5 minutes
Bruno Guimaraes was in floods of tears as he bid farewell to Newcastle United – this is how the £100million saga went down.
Will the last person to leave St James’ Park turn off the lights? With Bruno Guimaraes the latest high-profile casualty of a stuttering Saudi-backed project, Newcastle United have officially entered total reset territory.
The captain – whose legacy at St James’ Park now hangs in the balance – has left the sinking ship. Matthias Jaissle is the one tasked with salvaging the wreckage of Eddie Howe’s squad that reached its ceiling with multiple Champions League qualifications and a Carabao Cup trophy.
Now he must lead Newcastle into a new era, with fresh ideas, renewed passion and an intriguing backstory giving supporters a sliver of excitement to mask what has been another damaging summer. Jaissle needs support – both from the terraces and the boardroom.
For all the vitriol and spite aimed at Alexander Isak last summer, there has been a sense of apathy to Guimaraes leaving. Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali sandwiched in between were half-expected.
Fans appear more disappointed, rather than irate. But the rumblings long predate his flight to North London ahead of a £75million move to Arsenal.
In October 2023, inserted into a five-year contract extension, was a temporary release clause for £100million. This was to dangle a carrot to potential suitors – with transfer talk rife after Newcastle slumped to a seventh-placed finish. None came calling.
Howe wooed Guimaraes with the captaincy in pre-season to get the midfielder back onside. It proved a masterstroke as the Brazilian spearheaded the Magpies to their most memorable season for 70 years.
However, internally, frustration was growing. Amid stalled announcements on St James’ Park’s future and the training ground development, Isak’s bombshell exit confirmed the worst: Guimaraes could not fulfil his career ambitions on Tyneside.
Soon to turn 29, the midfielder has little time for a rebuild. He wants big trophies. Rumblings about a potential exit have persisted for a while. Guimaraes shunned the local media in mixed zones towards the back end of last season.
In several chats with Howe, he outlined his desire to leave. This ultimately proved the final straw for a manager whose cherished side had now been ripped apart.
But wary of the bitter Isak fallout, Guimaraes never wanted the saga to turn ugly. It should be noted that he has complied with all of Newcastle’s requests.
The skipper turned up at the La Manga base on Monday – a day later than expected – after agreeing a new arrival date with the club. As a result, the skipper missed the traditional summer barbecue on Sunday.
Ironic, given Isak did the same 12 months ago. The Gazette understands Guimaraes was incredibly emotional upon leaving, with tears flowing around the La Manga complex as he bid farewell to teammates and staff.
Toon chiefs can now draw a line. Incomings must now be the focus to reshape concern into hope. The Premier League opener is 18 days away – giving Newcastle less than three weeks to get their house in order.
As for Guimaraes, his legacy hangs in the balance. He was the man who led the Magpies to their first domestic trophy for seven decades.
Despite being born 5,300 miles away, the Geordies took to him as one of their own. Whether that adulation remains intact will be determined when Guimaraes returns in Arsenal colours on November 21.
