The club captain has two years left of his deal at Newcastle but has his head been turned by genuine interest from Arsenal
Bruno Guimaraes during a Brazil game during the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Bruno Guimaraes during a Brazil game during the 2026 FIFA World Cup(Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
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Newcastle United remain braced for contact from Arsenal on their club captain Bruno Guimaraes - with the player's every move in the United States being followed by his agent Alexis Malavolta.
Malavolta is jetting his way around the States to show his support for Bruno but was pictured with a key dealmaker who is well known to Arsenal following Brazil's win over Japan in the last 32 of the competition in Houston.
Bruno's agent is part of the Bertolucci group, which is run by Giuliano Bertolucci, the football super agent who set up deals for Gabriel Magalhaes and David Luiz with the Gunners.
Fellow super agent Kia Joorabchian was also pictured with Bruno's man sparking fears that a Toon exit is being plotted, although the men insist they are simply good friends.
And while Arsenal have not bid for Bruno yet, they have been told the terms of the deal and what it will probably take to snatch the ex-Lyon star from the Magpies.
Newcastle chiefs maintained that Bruno was 'not for sale' but there are growing fears he could go this summer with a second major departure in as many summers, after Alexander Isak's £125m sale to Liverpool, on the cards.
Talk of Newcastle having the power to extend Bruno's contract by an extra year is unlikely to concern Arsenal chiefs who feel a deal could be struck as they have a tipping point in mind.
Having failed with a verbal £45m offer, presented by intermediaries, the Gunners believe that £65m could be enough to clinch Bruno's signature. Whether that proves to be the case and Newcastle stick to their initial stance of not selling Bruno remains to be seen.
But questions above Bruno's camp remain, most notably whether the Newcastle captain's head has been turned by the interest from the Gunners or other departures from St James' Park.
Bruno jetted off for the World Cup with no new contract arranged, but it is believed that he is concerned about the project at Newcastle after a couple of big exits in recent windows and the lack of transfer activity, not to mention the slump from fifth to 12th in the Premier League in the last 12 months.
As long as Bruno's participation at the World Cup continues the more uncertainty clouds over his future because until Newcastle know his return date, it is difficult to predict whether a repeat of Isak's exit is likely to happen.
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