Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes was asked about the impact Alexander Isak’s £130million transfer to Liverpool had on his side’s Premier League season.
The Magpies endured a difficult summer heading into the 2025/26 season as they were embroiled in the biggest transfer saga in world football involving Isak and Liverpool.
The situation ran throughout the summer and into the regular season before finally being concluded with a £130million Premier League record transfer on deadline day.
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Alexander Isak transfer regret?
In hindsight, it’s a deal that perhaps all parties may have wished they hadn’t followed through with. Isak endured a disappointing debut season at Liverpool, heavily impacted by various fitness issues as he ended the campaign with just three league goals to his name.
Meanwhile, Newcastle struggled in Isak’s absence with Yoane Wissa failing to make an impact and Nick Woltemade struggling for consistency despite an initially bright start.
Ultimately, Liverpool and Newcastle had underwhelming seasons on the back of the transfer. The Reds put up a weak title defence to finish fifth while Newcastle dropped from fifth to 12th, their lowest finish under Eddie Howe.
Guimaraes, who is currently away with Brazil at the 2026 World Cup, was asked whether Isak’s departure had a direct impact on Newcastle’s underwhelming campaign.
The Magpies skipper played the suggestion down as he told AS: "I see the whole process. I don't think any one isolated incident [Isak leaving] 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.
"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."
Captain Bruno
Guimaraes was named Newcastle captain in 2024 and ended up lifting the Carabao Cup and qualifying for the Champions League in his first season with the armband. Now he has been tipped as a future captain of his national team.
"Honestly, I'm not thinking about that right now,” he said about the Brazil captaincy. “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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