Did Newcastle United's season flop because of the sale of Alexander Isak? That has been put to Bruno at Brazil's training camp
Newcastle United's Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak
Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak
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Bruno Guimaraes has been asked if Newcastle United's poor season unfolded because of Alexander Isak's controversial £125m sale to Liverpool.
The Brazil star is preparing for the World Cup in the US with his country kicking off their Group C campaign in New Jersey against Morocco.
For Bruno, it has been a case of dusting himself down after a tough season in which he had to overcome a hamstring injury suffered in the 2-1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur.
A stint in Brazil, recovering with his country's federation for a month, proved to be vital in getting him back up to speed but his absence on Tyneside was felt badly during the winter as Newcastle slipped from the top six to the bottom half of the table.
As the 2025/26 season spluttered along for Newcastle, there was an argument that Newcastle were missing Isak and had not replaced him effectively, with the team having a different look and feel to it after the departure of the Sweden star.
When asked if United's lowly finish was a consequence of selling Isak to the Reds in a record deal, Bruno told AS: "I see the whole process. I don't think any one isolated incident (Isak) changed our course.
"We lacked a run of good performances, consistency in the starting eleven, we suffered some injuries, and all of that had an impact."
And Bruno was also candid about the season overall on Tyneside with the 28-year-old admitting: "It's been a season where we haven't reached our full potential, and that will undoubtedly serve as a lesson for the future.
"We haven't been able to maintain consistency, and that has had a significant impact on our Premier League position and in other competitions."
Bruno was also asked what his future holds and what his forecast for the next four years was with World Cup 2030 in mind.
He said:"I like to live one day at a time. Step by step. See you in 2030 and I'll give you that answer.
"Keep going and don't lose faith along the way. The difficulties will serve as a learning experience and a springboard to success.
"Trust the process and yourself. It will all have been worth it."
Another question is whether Bruno will succeed Marquinhos as captain of his country, but he stated to journalists: "Honestly, I'm not thinking about that right now.
"My focus is entirely on this World Cup. It was a dream of mine to arrive at a World Cup in good form, and my goal is to help Brazil win this title. I'm always ready to help."
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