Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes (Image: PA)
Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes (Image: PA)
NEWCASTLE United have agreed a £75m deal with Arsenal and Bruno Guimaraes is now set to leave the Magpies.
It will bring to an end another unwanted transfer saga for Newcastle, who were initially adamant their captain was not for sale this summer but the midfielder has got the move he wanted.
The clubs have met in the middle on the agreed fee, with Arsenal initially hopeful they could get Bruno for between £50m and £60m and Newcastle's asking price having started at around the £100m mark.
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But Bruno's desire to leave put Newcastle in a difficult situation and the Magpies were desperate to avoid a repeat of last season's Alexander Isak saga, which stretched until the end of the summer window.
Bruno landed in Spain on Monday and linked up with the squad in La Manga, where he met Matthias Jaissle for the first time. But the German head coach was never going to be able to change Bruno's mind and the midfielder again made it clear he felt it was the right time to move on.
It was then decided that it was best to bring a swift resolution to matters and a deal has now been agreed. Bruno will travel to London to undergo his medica.
Jaissle, meanwhile, is set to be confirmed as Newcastle's new head coach later today and will take charge for the first time against Valencia on Saturday, by which time Bruno's Arsenal move is likely to have been finalised.
Bruno follows Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon through the exit door in what has been another extremely challenging summer on Tyneside. While Gordon and Tonali's exits were somewhat anticipated this summer, Newcastle were desperate to keep hold of Bruno, who has been such an important figure on and off the pitch since his arrival in 2022.
The Brazilian helped to guide Newcastle to safety in his first season and then led the side to the Champions League and the Carabao Cup success.
Bruno's former club Lyon are in line to receive 20 per cent of Newcastle's profit on the midfielder, with the French club set to earn between £6m and £7m from the deal.
Newcastle will now step up their search for a replacement, with targets having been identified.