Man Utd are in the hunt for a new midfielder in the summer transfer window and Bruno Guimaraes is admired.
Bruno Guimaraes has been touted as a Casemiro replacement.(Image: AFP or licensors)
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Manchester United are in the market for a Casemiro replacement this summer. He is set to leave upon the expiry of his contract and United have budgeted to sign a quality successor.
United admire Carlos Baleba, Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton and Sandro Tonali, but Brazilian sources have linked the latter's teammate, Bruno Guimaraes, to Old Trafford, prompting Newcastle manager Eddie Howe to field a question about Guimaraes' future last week.
Guimaraes wears the captain's armband for Newcastle and would not be easy to prise away from St. James' Park. However, he would be an excellent addition if United could pull off the transfer.
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Guimaraes was signed by Newcastle in the Saudi regime's first transfer window in charge. The Brazilian has been crucial for Howe's project, establishing himself as one of the finest midfielders in the top-flight.
With that in mind, the Manchester Evening News reached out to Newcastle reporter Sean McCormick to get the north east view on the situation. McCormick writes for The Chronicle and provided insight into what could happen with Guimaraes' future in the summer transfer window.
What is Newcastle's stance on Bruno this summer?
SM: If Newcastle United don't qualify for the Champions League next season, as is looking increasingly likely, it is no secret that there could be some upheaval in the ranks. Whether that is Bruno Guimaraes remains to be seen, but Newcastle absolutely do not want to lose their captain.
Without Bruno's performances and goals in decisive moments this season, the Premier League picture could have looked even more bleak than it already does for Newcastle. He loves the club and has routinely spoken about wanting to put his name in the club's history.
He is 29 in November, too, so you would think this is arguably his last chance to secure a big transfer if that is what he desires. I would also question whether he would fit into Manchester United's recruitment model under Ineos for that reason. At his age, there is zero sell-on value, and it would require a huge fee to prise him away from Tyneside.
United are tracking Tonali, but have been linked to Guimaraes.
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It could be that this talk triggers an improved contract at Newcastle, securing his future at the club in his prime years. There's never smoke without fire with these things, and the motive from Guimaraes' camp would be clear from the reasons outlined above.
What is more likely is that Newcastle lose Sandro Tonali, who has also been linked with Manchester United, as well as Arsenal and Manchester City, and/or Tino Livramento, who has also been linked with the Gunners and the Citizens.
Tonali's agent has been publicly linking his client with big clubs and that is something you cannot accuse Bruno Guimaraes' agent, Alexis Malavolta, of doing.
How much would it cost to lure him away from Newcastle?
SM: A lot of money. There was a fear back in the summer of 2024 that his £100million release clause would be triggered and he would leave the club - particularly as Man City, Arsenal and Barcelona were sniffing around the Brazil international.
That clause expired that summer and, until now, there hasn't been renewed interest from elsewhere in his services.
I think Newcastle would start the negotiations at that £100m mark if interest from Manchester United was serious. Whether they can negotiate that figure down to an acceptable amount remains to be seen."
Howe is under pressure at Newcastle.
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What has been the reaction to United's reported interest in Bruno?
SM: Eddie Howe was visibly unhappy about it in Friday's press conference when he was asked about it. The Newcastle manager shut the question down in the live section of the press conference, but in the embargoed section, when he was asked about it again, he dubbed it a 'nonsense story', before adding: 'Is it a problem for us? I don't necessarily think it is a problem for us.
"But it is unwanted news, I suppose, is the best way to put it. You don't want the players distracted I don't know how much they will absorb that. For me, it is not the time to think about it. In the summer, you can understand those stories a little bit more because the transfer window is open.
"To say our captain is in discussions with another club is totally disrespectful to Bruno more than anything else, he is totally committed here."
Do you think he would be a suitable Casemiro replacement as a No.6?
SM: Absolutely. When you watch Bruno, he's not the best striker or passer of the ball, but his football brain is second to none, and he is excellent at screening out danger. He is also elite in tight spaces, and his close control is as good as any midfielder in world football.
This season, he has added goals to his game, and when Tonali plays in the midfield, he usually plays as a 6, and Bruno plays as an 8 on the right of the midfield three. That changed the course of Newcastle's season last term and proved that he is adept at both roles.
The fact that Casemiro, who has played alongside Bruno at the international level, reportedly recommended him as his replacement at Old Trafford speaks volumes.