Eddie Howe has made it clear he will have no say in the future of Bruno Guimaraes following a brief press huddle at Gateshead International Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The exchange lasted around four minutes, far shorter than Howe's typical 20-30 minute sessions, and was planned in advance. Questions on players like Joe Willock, Nick Pope and Lewis Hall went unanswered.
Howe's stance on transfers
Howe stated: "Look, I don't know what's going to happen with Bruno's future. That's for other people to, one, speculate about, but also conversations that I'm not part of." He described the summer as "challenging" despite a £112m spend, adding: "We don't want to lose our best players. That's an obvious statement to make." He noted losing Gordon and Tonali was "painful for us and difficult."
Unlike last summer, when Howe had final say on deals, he now distances himself from big calls. He confirmed he has no issue with signing younger players.
Fifth signing in the works?
CEO David Hopkinson was absent from Gateshead but has been active in recruitment alongside sporting director Ross Wilson. A well-placed source said: "We're always working." Newcastle's fourth arrival, Aladji Bamba, arrived in 40 days, with the deal completed under the radar like Sean Steur's.
Tomori bid denied
Reports of a £12.8m offer for AC Milan's Fikayo Tomori were dismissed. Newcastle sources say no bid has been made for the 28-year-old, who is above the age range of their signings, and the club already has right-sided centre-backs Malick Thiaw and Fabian Schar.
