Newcastle United and Bruno Guimaraes are approaching a decisive point ahead of the July 31 return date, after fresh reports of a bid were dismissed. Social media suggestions of an increased offer of £80m plus add-ons emerged on X, but Chronicle Live was told such a bid was false. High-placed sources at Arsenal claimed the Gunners would not go close to £80m for the player, who turns 29 later this year.
No official bid received
It remains to be seen whether Arsenal decide to pull the plug on talks with the player's agent. Newcastle chiefs are unwilling to part with Guimaraes for the £70m price tag bandied around on July 23, when the BBC made a big claim that a concrete offer was close. However, the £70m bid wasn't tabled, which is why fresh talk of £80m on Saturday evening left Newcastle sources mystified.
Newcastle are adamant they don't want to part with the Brazil star, and head coach Eddie Howe has made it clear he wants the midfielder to stay. The situation may boil down to the stance of Bruno's advisors and the will of the player himself.
Howe's comments and pre-season plans
Howe spoke highly of Bruno's character after the disappointing 1-1 draw with National League side Gateshead. The expectation and instruction from Newcastle to their captain is to link up with the squad for next week's trip to La Manga for pre-season. The fanbase have debated whether he will return if a deal with Arsenal is not in place.
Howe said yesterday: "Yes, I've spoken to him as I would do. Bruno, normally, is just a fantastic person. We've had some really good conversations, both before the World Cup, during the World Cup and after the World Cup. What we speak about obviously has to remain private. He's just a great player and a great person."
Howe also added: "Look, I don't know what's going to happen with Bruno's future. That's for other people to speculate about, but also conversations that I'm not part of."
Contract and potential stalemate
Bruno still has two years left on his current deal, and the club also believe they have a one-year option to trigger if they see fit. The reality is Bruno will have a tipping point, and every player has a price, but by the same token Newcastle are unlikely to sell at a fee that suits Arsenal. A potential stalemate this week leaves Bruno with a decision to make in terms of returning to training for the La Manga boot camp.
