Premier League champions Arsenal are interested in signing Brazil midfielder Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United during the summer transfer window
Bruno Guimaraes continues to be linked with a move to Arsenal and woke up on Sunday to reports from Brazil suggesting he has an escape clause in his Newcastle United contract. It was claimed in those reports that the midfielder could leave the Magpies this summer for a set fee.
Brazilian publication Globo reported that Bruno’s Newcastle exit could be triggered for £60m in the current window after the Magpies failed to qualify for the Champions League – a clause confirmed by those close to the deal, football.london’s colleagues in the north east at Chronicle Live report. However, Chronicle Live has also been told by sources at Newcastle that they dispute any type of release clause existing for the Brazil international.
Since interest from Arsenal was confirmed, albeit with no official bid launched yet, it has been made clear by Toon chiefs that they do not want to sell their influential skipper. Bruno has previously had escape clauses in his contract that expire after a certain amount of time with a £100m exit option timing out in June 2024 amid interest from Man City and the Gunners.
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Were that to be the case again, Arsenal would be left with a couple of days to trigger his exit at that price but as of Sunday lunchtime, the Premier League champions had not tabled a formal bid. ChronicleLive reports that a price of £45m was suggested via intermediaries, but this was swiftly dismissed, as Newcastle aren’t interested in losing a key player.
Newcastle have made it clear they will only sell players on their terms this summer, with CEO David Hopkinson addressing journalists back in March with a strong message.
Hopkinson said back in March: “We think through what players might or might not want to do this summer.
“But if an (Alexander) Isak-like scenario presents itself again, any player under contract is going to leave on our terms and we’re going to maximise the opportunity that might represent for the club.”
Back then, Newcastle also refused to rule out bringing in marquee signings but suggested that star names would have to be sold in order for that to happen.
Hopkinson said: “We can do that. But we might not be able to do that without selling somebody.”
Bruno’s stance on his future at Newcastle is yet to surface, but Eddie Howe stated in March his captain was committed to the black and white cause.
After being linked with Man United in the spring, Howe said of Bruno: “To say our captain is in discussions with another club is totally disrespectful to Bruno more than anything else. He is totally committed here.”
