Paris Saint-Germain have now made a Newcastle United star their priority target for the summer, and an offer of £83m could be possible, according to a report.
Newcastle braced for departures
Newcastle have a real fight on their hands when it comes to trying to keep hold of a number of their star players, particularly considering the financial restrictions they are working under, which has significantly slowed down their progress.
Alexander Isak’s future at St James’ Park remains in major doubt, with Premier League rivals Arsenal believed to be keen, having now identified the Swede as their number-one striker target.
However, the Gunners are not the only option for Isak, with PSG willing to do everything they can to sign the forward, identifying him as an ideal signing for the Luis Enrique project.
Isak is not the French club’s main target, though, with reports from Spain now revealing that signing Bruno Guimaraes is their priority objective – and they are willing to make a huge offer to get a deal over the line.
The reigning Ligue 1 champions could make an offer of €100m (£83m) to secure the Brazilian’s services in what could prove to be one of the biggest signings of next summer.
As expected, Newcastle will not let Guimaraes leave easily, viewing him as fundamental to their plans to compete in the Premier League and Europe, though whether they could be tempted by a big offer is unclear.
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Such is the 27-year-old’s ability, he has been lauded as “world-class” by ex-Magpies defender Jose Enrique, so it is no surprise that PSG have identified him as a major target for the summer transfer window.
Bruno Guimaraes celebrates for Newcastle
Eddie Howe has also agreed with the notion that Guimaraes is world-class, saying: “I think he is. I don’t say that lightly because it’s easy to say, but you have to believe what you’re saying. And I do.
“I think he has unbelievable qualities that we see on a daily basis. He is versatile, fundamentally he has an unbelievable attitude to life and football. He can produce moments of magic like he did against Nottingham Forest.”
The Newcastle star’s attacking talents have been on show for all to see over the past year, ranking in the 96th percentile for assists per 90 and the 97th percentile for successful take-ons when compared to his positional peers (as per FBref).
Since joining the club, the former Lyon man’s attacking output has improved each year:
The Magpies’ struggles to abide by the Premier League’s financial rules mean that cashing in on the Brazil international could be a huge help, but he would be extremely difficult to replace in central midfield.
As such Newcastle should resist PSG’s approach unless Guimaraes unexpectedly pushes for an exit that forces them to cash in.
