Newcastle United will now turn their attention to signing a couple of new players after finally bringing an end to the Bruno Guimaraes transfer saga.
The Magpies agreed to sell their talismanic captain to Arsenal for £75million after Guimaraes told them that he wished to quit Tyneside. He becomes the third big name to leave this summer after Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali.
Midfield reinforcement priority
Newcastle are now in desperate need of reinforcements. Guimaraes' departure leaves a gaping hole in the midfield and United want to move swiftly to bring in a playmaker, someone with a bit of experience to assist youngsters like Sean Steur, Aladji Bamba and Lewis Miley.
New manager Matthias Jaissle was finally confirmed by the club as Eddie Howe's replacement and he will play a part in the recruitment strategy with Ross Wilson. Jaissle also needs at least one full-back and possibly another midfielder, on top of Bruno's replacement.
Jaissle appointment confirmed
Newcastle confirmed Matthias Jaissle as their new head coach in a statement: "United are delighted to announce the appointment of Matthias Jaissle as the club's new head coach."
"Widely recognised as one of Europe’s leading young coaches, the 38-year-old German arrives on Tyneside following remarkable success with both Red Bull Salzburg and Al-Ahli."
"Following a thorough, rigorous and confidential recruitment process, Matthias emerged as the clear outstanding candidate to lead the club into an exciting new chapter."
"At just 33 years of age, Matthias was appointed head coach of Red Bull Salzburg and enjoyed immediate success in Austria, winning a domestic double in his first season. He also guided the club to the UEFA Champions League knockout stages for the first time in their history before securing a second consecutive league title and further European progress in the UEFA Europa League."
"After joining Al-Ahli, he quickly transformed the side into one of Asia's leading teams, securing qualification for the AFC Champions League in his first season. He leaves after leading the club to back-to-back AFC Champions League titles, becoming the first coach to achieve the feat."
"Matthias’ ability to develop players, build resilient, cohesive and high-energy teams, and contribute to elite high-performance environments has distinguished him throughout his coaching career."
"Just as importantly, his football philosophy and leadership style are strongly aligned with the direction, ambitions and culture of Newcastle United."
"Matthias begins his role immediately and his coaching team at Newcastle United will be announced shortly."
