Newcastle United fans' general enthusiasm for the new season is dwindling with every major player sale. I’m a Newcastle United fan myself, but if Bruno Guimarães follows Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Kieran Trippier out the exit door this summer… I think all of those sales could prove to be good decisions, even though some were forced upon the club.
Kieran Trippier’s departure was inevitable, and possibly 6-12 months later than it could have been, while Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali’s body language in the last six months did nothing to hide their desire to leave Tyneside.
In the case of Gordon, an untenable apathy had crept in from both his side and that of supporters unhappy with his inconsistent attitude and lack of league goal contributions. Tonali never felt like he wanted to be here, despite the swathes of affection that reigned down on him from the stands, which he might not get at Tottenham.
Guimarães’ situation is different. The club captain has just turned in his best season in a Newcastle United shirt, in spite of the club’s poor league performance and gruelling schedule. He scored nine Premier League goals – two more than any other season – all while playing 800 fewer league minutes than in the previous two campaigns. Had he managed to play more than 29 Premier League games, Newcastle would have almost certainly finished higher than the disappointing 12th position they managed.
Guimarães is 28, has two years left on his contract and was a bright spark among an average Brazil team at the World Cup (Norway penalty miss notwithstanding). As such, his value has never been higher (£70m-£100m).
The offer of a new contract in January wasn’t possible with Champions League football looking so unlikely, and it proved unachievable. It was probably futile regardless. Realistically, Newcastle can’t pay close to what a club like Arsenal can more comfortably afford. Neither can Newcastle offer European football or the potential of a title-challenging season.
Furthermore, putting Guimarães’ salary up (he’s already one of the top earners at the club) will send him so far clear of anyone else in the dressing room that it risks destabilising the squad at a time when unity is an essential commodity.
Digging their heels and forcing Guimarães to remain will result in a key player, also their captain, likely harbouring resentment towards the hierarchy and would nullify his USP: that unique ability to bring players together, inspire them via performances on the pitch, and his attitude and enthusiasm off it. The dressing room's power supply would be flat.
Yes, letting Guimaraes and Tonali leave in the same window is far from ideal, but keeping unhappy players on big wages is less preferable. You can't have the most important player not firing on all cylinders as his value plummets with every passing window, while potentially earning a dressing-room-damaging wage.
So much can go wrong playing Premier League chess. It won’t be lost on Newcastle that they did at one stage possess what is probably the perfect combination of midfield three in the Premier League right now: Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes. That hurts.
The news that Bruno Guimaraes has told Newcastle United he wants to leave broke yesterday, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he actually signalled this intention as early as the start of the year, knowing that this summer would mark the two-year countdown on his deal. That courtesy will have at least allowed Newcastle to begin getting their ducks in order, which it looks like they are doing, rather than scrambling madly as they did during last summer’s Alexander Isak saga.
This is a reset summer and a reset season. A lack of European football will help them in this respect. Funds generated from assets they have grown and sold will give them a big opportunity to build the proper foundation they have been missing.
Funds generated from assets they have grown and sold will give them a big opportunity to build the proper foundation they have been missing.
They are already making decisive moves in the market, £60m+ has been spent on goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen and forward Bazoumana Toure (both 20 years old). In terms of midfielders, deals for Johan Manzambi (20) and Sean Steur (18) are in motion, while The Athletic also report Monaco’s Lamine Camara and Auxerre’s Kevin Danois (both midfielders, both 22 years old) are being closely tracked. Though not headline names, that’s a large enough pool of midfielders to suggest they are coming in as replacements, rather than supplements.
Newcastle United must to do three things if they want to make Guimarães’ exit successful: secure market value (nothing less than £70m upfront, ideally closer to the Tonali price of £100m) sign a replacement, or replacements, before Guimarães leaves, and lastly (a point as difficult to guarantee as it is crucial) ensure those signings have the talent, temperament and potential to eclipse what Tonali and Guimarães brought to the club when they arrived, both as relative unknowns, particularly in the case of Guimarães.
This is a highly sensitive deal for the fans and the player. Guimarães is beloved by Newcastle supporters, and the feeling is genuinely mutual. Therefore, it is important to put yourself in the player's shoes. He is 28, and he has just impressed on the world stage. He had no loyalty to the club when he arrived, and while he has built affection and love in the four and a half years he has been here, it’s probably asking too much of him to dedicate the rest of his career to Newcastle United.
He has given incredible service and will at least double the £35m paid for him if sold. He lifted the club’s first domestic trophy in 70 years, started a family in Newcastle, embraced the culture, simultaneously picking up English (and Geordie) overnight, and raised the standard of the team significantly.
He can double his money and double his chances of winning medals by securing a move to a club like Arsenal. It’s unlikely the opportunity will exist beyond this summer.
Sadly, his ambitions and talent have overtaken the club, and Newcastle United have to accept that.
Sadly, his ambitions and talent have overtaken the club, and Newcastle United have to accept that. This point shouldn’t sit easily with the club. The sales of Gordon, Tonali and, potentially, Guimarães rightly shine light on comments by CEO David Hopkinson, who on two occasions last season said publicly that Newcastle United will be “in the debate” about being the top club in the world by 2030.
Newcastle fans should be excited by such bold comments, but equally, Hopkinson will be aware that he will be judged on them. Perhaps he is trying to manifest that type of success by putting it on record. Equally, it’s a dangerous line in the sand.
Though bold, Hopkinson is possibly learning the hard way, that CEO media appearances in England aren’t exactly taken with a grain of salt, like they can be in North America, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if we see and hear less of him this season. The talking is over, there is lots of work to be done, starting with the handling of the Guimarães situation.
Make no mistake, Guimarães himself will be heartbroken, but he knows that it is the right call. Newcastle United fans owe it to him to recognise that and wave him off with thanks.
