Michael Owen isn't convinced that Bruno Guimaraes hasn't been pushing for a move to Arsenal this summer, despite a 'gentleman-like' approach from the outside looking in.
Guimaraes on the verge of Arsenal move
The Newcastle United captain is on the verge of joining the defending Premier League champions in yet another hammer blow to fans of the club. Having already lost Anthony Gordon in a £69million move to Barcelona, and Sandro Tonali to Tottenham Hotspur for £100m - as well as Eddie Howe resigning from his managerial post - it now appears as though Guimaraes will be next out the door.
It's the second consecutive summer that United have lost key talent, having allowed Alexander Isak to join Liverpool in a £125m move on deadline day after a lengthy, drawn-out and somewhat bitter transfer saga. And while the general consensus is that Guimaraes isn't desperate to part ways with St James' Park like Isak was just 12 months ago, former Newcastle striker Owen sees things differently.
Owen's perspective
“I don't know. I mean, he might be being really kind about it now, but probably so was Isak at this time," said Owen, who now helps UK gamblers compare online casinos as the British ambassador for Casino.org, when asked if Guimaraes would tarnish his club legacy with a move to North London.
He added: "And so are a lot of people. But when the deadline starts coming and you're thinking, 'I really want to go,' then we'll see if he's still being a gentleman then.
"And this is the problem with legacies and things like that. Sometimes it's how it's done and why it's done and all the rest of it.
"But the bottom line is, you know, most people are exactly the same. They want to be successful in their career.
"They want to play at the highest level. They want to play in the Champions League. They want to win the league.
"Virtually everybody is the same. Yet one can be painted to be a horror show and the other can be painted to be an absolute saint and left in the greatest way possible.
"Well, that can just be circumstances and circumstantial. So we'll see how it plays out."
Not fooled by appearances
Speaking about how he isn't convinced that Guimaraes isn't pushing for a move, he added: “But, you know, I've been in dressing rooms. I'm not fooled by any of this. If you think he's going out nicely and as a gentleman, then that probably is the case at the moment.
"Let's see if this drags on. Let's see if there's two days left of the window. Let's see what happens then.
"You might have a different view. Everybody's the same - footballers, people are ambitious. They want to be doing the best they can for themselves, their family, their career, etc.
"It's b******* when people say, 'Oh, he's not loyal and he is and all the rest of it.' It's all circumstantial."
It comes as Guimaraes looks set to join Mikel Arteta's Gunners in a £75m deal in the coming days, as his four-year stint with the Magpies draws to a close. Who the club will enlist as a replacement remains to be seen, having already snapped up Sean Steur and Aladji Bamba this summer.
