Newcastle ‘idol’ discloses private Guardiola conversation; reveals what he ‘knows’ after ‘first-choice’ transfer reveal

Newcastle United “idol” Bruno Guimaraes has disclosed a private conversation he’s had with Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola.

The Magpies fended off competition from Premier League rivals Arsenal to sign Guimaraes from Ligue Un side Lyon during the 2022 winter transfer window. They paid around £40m to secure his services.

Guimaraes has established himself as a fan favourite at Newcastle as the talented midfielder has already racked up 121 appearances for the Premier League side across all competitions.

Newcastle feared losing Guimaraes, Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon as they needed to sell one or two players to balance the books.

They managed to avoid losing their three prized assets as Yankuba Minteh and Elliot Anderson were sold to Brighton and Nottingham Forest respectively.

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In the summer, Guimaraes was linked with several Premier League clubs and it was reported that he chose Man City as his ‘first-choice destination.

Towards the end of 2023, Guimaraes penned a five-year contract extension to commit his future to Man City until 2028.

Talk over an exit has gone quiet in recent months, but his latest comments will add fuel to transfer speculation.  

The 27-year-old has revealed that Guardiola “likes” his football as the Man City boss has previously “praised” his work”>

“I believe that at my club I am an idol and I have a lot of respect,” Guimaraes said.

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“I am the captain of Newcastle and it is something that if you had asked me three years ago, my biggest dream would have been to play in the Premier League. Playing, being an idol, being captain is something wonderful. I really like Newcastle.

“Of course, having Manchester City’s suggestions shows that I am at a high level, but it was nothing more than suggestions.

“I know that Guardiola likes my football, it is normal to have great coaches who admire your football. We have spoken once, I praised his work, he praised my work, but it was nothing more than that.”

In August, Guimaraes was insistent that he is “very happy” at Newcastle.

“I’m very happy to be here. These things, I cannot control, but I’m here, I’m very happy to be here, I love it and I hope to keep [being] here,” Guimaraes said.

He added: “It’s another dream come true to be captain of a club where I love to be. When the fans love me it’s always massive for me.

“I’m hopeful we can do something similar to two years ago, we trying to do the same as we did when we got the Champions League.”