Eddie Howe had indicated on Wednesday that he expected Bruno Guimaraes to be back with Newcastle on Friday but that is no longer the case
Bruno Guimaraes
Arsenal transfer target Bruno Guimaraes is due to return to Newcastle training this week
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Newcastle sources have indicated Bruno Guimaraes will now join the squad in La Manga on Sunday, even though the player was initially expected to be back on Tyneside this Friday.
Following weeks of intense speculation, Arsenal are now finally closing in on the signing of the 28-year-old Brazilian, who has already reached a verbal agreement on personal terms with the Premier League champions.
So far, the Gunners have had several approaches - via intermediaries - knocked back by the Magpies but they are yet to lodge a formal bid and Newcastle continually denied there has even been club-to-club contact.
A direct approach is coming, however, as the Gunners are now discussing numbers (upwards of £75m) that are perceived to be within an acceptable range.
There's a feeling that Mikel Arteta's side were merely testing the water with their usage of the intermediaries, though their strategy hasn't been to Newcastle's liking.
Speaking earlier this week prior to his bombshell exit, Eddie Howe indicated that while he wasn't certain, he imagined Guimaraes would be reporting back to Newcastle on Friday for training before the team departed for their warm-weather camp in Spain this weekend.
Had the plan always been for Guimaraes to team up with Newcastle in Spain, Howe would have at least been aware of it and would have taken the chance to set the record straight.
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He said following the Magpies' 4-1 defeat at Bristol City: "That's a good question. The details I don't actually know but I see no reason why that wouldn't be the case."
Since then, the expectation that Guimaraes will join Arsenal has significantly increased and the 'change' of plan, though Newcastle are likely to say that it was always the case, points towards developments.
football.london is led to believe the central midfielder is still in his homeland of Brazil, where he had been spending time with his close circle including his father Dick Gomez and agent Alexis Malavolta.
Bruno Guimaraes celebrates scoring for Newcastle United against Nottingham Forest
Bruno Guimaraes is top of Arsenal's transfer shortlist(Image: SmartFrame/Every Second Media)
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Newcastle chiefs are currently prioritising the appointment of their new manager, German Matthias Jaissle, from PIF-owned Al-Ahli.
Once Jaissle is through the door, he may have once last go at convincing Guimaraes to stay, though given he's already agreed terms with Arsenal, that may prove to be a thankless task.
Guimaraes has two years remaining on his current deal at St James' Park but his contract also includes a 12-month extension option.
This summer, he has watched team-mates Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Kieran Trippier all depart from afar while the exit of Howe also creates further questions about the trajectory of a team that finished 12th last season.
If sold, Newcastle will seek to recruit a ready-made replacement for their skipper despite their summer transfer business being largely centred around youth prospects to date.
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