Eddie Howe has issued a public plea to Bruno Guimaraes, urging him to reject Arsenal's interest and remain at Newcastle. The Brazilian midfielder has been the subject of multiple bids from the Gunners, all of which have been turned down by the Magpies.
Howe, speaking after Newcastle's 4-1 pre-season defeat to Bristol City, revealed he has not received any assurances from Guimaraes regarding his future. "We've spoken numerous times. Assurances, I don't think you can push too hard for those," Howe said. "I've said many times you want players who are committed. Bruno has always been committed here."
Howe's desire to keep key players
Newcastle have had a difficult summer, with key players Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali departing. The team finished 12th in the Premier League last season, and Howe is under pressure from fans after poor pre-season results, including a draw with non-league Gateshead.
Howe emphasised the importance of retaining top talent: "I think we want to keep all of our best players, they are so valuable. ... Bruno is very much in that category, he's an outstanding player. On a night like tonight of course he'd have helped us."
Guimaraes is set to report for pre-season training on Friday. Arsenal, under Mikel Arteta, are expected to continue their pursuit, with Arteta aiming to "evolve" his squad by signing "better individuals."
