Arsenal have seen a first formal transfer bid for Bruno Guimaraes rejected
Newcastle United's CEO David Hopkinson
Newcastle United CEO David Hopkinson
"If an Isak-like scenario presents itself again, any player under contract is going to leave on our terms. We're going to maximise the opportunity that might represent for the club."
Those were the words of Newcastle United CEO David Hopkinson back in March when quizzed over the Magpies embracing a player trading model in the summer transfer market.
And to be fair to the Magpies chief, certainly in the sales of Anthony Gordon to Barcelona and Sandro Tonali to Tottenham, he has been as good as his word.
Gordon joined Barcelona, rather than a direct rival, for £69million back in May and Tonali joined Spurs for a package worth £100million at the start of July, ensuring Newcastle will be compliant with spending rules and given them ample time, and money, to replace them.
Get Chronicle Premium now for just £1HERE– exclusive news and features, our NUFC and Academy notebooks, plus an ad-lite experience
Both players had communicated for a while their intentions to leave and Newcastle had planned for their departures. Those deals were dealt with efficiently and they were seen as a win for the executive team of Hopkinson and sporting director Ross Wilson.
The big test comes now with how the Bruno Guimaraes transfer saga is resolved. After weeks of briefings, talk and conjecture over a deal being close, personal terms being agreed, intermediaries leading talks over a deal, the player wanting the move, there was no club to club contact between Newcastle and Arsenal.
That was until this morning when Guimaraes' expected arrival at the club's La Manga training base later today coincided with the Gunners finally placing a formal bid for the Newcastle captain.
The Gunners' original valuation for Bruno was around £70m, with sources at the Emirates Stadium insisting over the weekend that they would not go too far beyond that figure.
That figure would not be deemed acceptable by Newcastle, given his importance to the team and the context surrounding the club this summer.
Tonali and Gordon's exit has been accentuated by the departures of dressing room leader Kieran Trippier and now head coach Eddie Howe.
For Matthias Jaissle to start on the front foot, Guimaraes staying would be a real shot in the arm for a team in the midst of a reset and who have signed five young players for the first team this summer.
But should he leave, it would leave a gaping hole in the squad. It's not just a world class midfielder leaving the club but the heartbeat of the dressing room and the experienced lynchpin of the new project.
The change in transfer tack is palatable if Guimaraes stays. If he goes, there are huge question marks surrounding the club's direction of travel and it is clear the dressing room do not want to lose their leader, too.
"You want to keep your best players, of course you do," Harvey Barnes told Chronicle Live in Bristol last week. "He's a big part of what we've got going on here. He's the captain of the club, so he has a big role to play here.
"As a player, you see the impact he has on the pitcher and in the changing room as well. He's a big character. He has that special connection with the fans and he's produced big moments throughout the time he's been at Newcastle, which makes him a very key player for us.
"Nothing but positive things to say about Bruno. He's a great guy, a great player and someone we want to have around the club."
There is also an argument over whether Guimaraes' head is too far gone and it is in the interests of all parties to negotiate a sale. But if that is the case it has to represent market value and that has to be a package around the £85-90million mark at a minimum.
Newcastle's replacement for Guimaraes has to be an experienced, quality campaigner who is ready to plug in and play in Jaissle's system. And that is going to cost a lot of money.
Guimaraes' departure this summer was never part of Newcastle's plan and they have to be compensated as such if he does leave. That will be the biggest test yet over how sturdy Hopkinson's public stance really is.
If it stands true, Arsenal have to either put up or shut up and meet Newcastle's asking price and Guimaraes must respect his club's wishes. There could be plenty of twists and turns yet to come this summer, so strap yourselves in.