Simon Jordan has urged Newcastle United's hierarchy to regain control of the Bruno Guimaraes transfer saga by sitting down with the player and his agent to make clear he will stay unless the asking price is met. The former Crystal Palace owner and talkSPORT pundit believes Newcastle will sell the Brazilian midfielder at the right price, despite their public stance that their captain is not for sale.
Guimaraes Wants Arsenal Move
News emerged on Wednesday evening that Guimaraes had informed Newcastle he wanted to leave St James' Park to join Arsenal, the Premier League champions. However, there has been no club-to-club contact, and Newcastle would not welcome any, despite reports of a £60 million bid being prepared by the Gunners.
Jordan's Advice Based on Experience
Speaking on talkSPORT, Jordan drew on his own experience as a former football club owner, particularly with Andrew Johnson at Crystal Palace. He recalled a similar situation where Johnson wanted to leave after Palace's relegation, but Jordan sat him down and told him unequivocally he would not go until the following season if the club failed to win promotion. Jordan said: 'I had a case in point specifically with Andrew Johnson... He was told by me in unequivocal terms that he wasn't going. He could go at the end of the following season if we didn't go back up again but stay he would.'
Jordan added: 'I think the Newcastle hierarchy have got to sit with this player and his agent... They need to sit down and say to them we don't want you to go, you are not going but if there really is a situation where we have to sell you it will only be on these terms. So get your head around it, get your head into this space that we will only sell you at this price, because it will come down to pounds, shillings and pence. I don't care who the club is, everybody is for sale if the price is met.'
Questions Over Newcastle's Ambition
Jordan also questioned why multiple players, including Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali, are looking to leave Newcastle this summer. He said: 'First and foremost, ask yourself the question why are all these players suddenly deserting the sinking ship? It is not a sinking ship but it doesn't appear to be a particularly ambitious one in terms of an ownership model which everybody thought was going to change the direction of football.'
He continued: 'Ask yourself the question that despite the vilification of a player two years ago who said he wanted to stay. Nothing lasts forever, he is entitled to leave, he has done his stint. How he leaves is the key component part of this. But also, why. Why are Newcastle now at a place where people want to leave from? That is the problem Eddie Howe has got and that is the problem matey boy [CEO David Hopkinson] who says they are going to win the league by 2030, those are the challenges they have got.'
