Newcastle United have been handed a boost in pursuit of Lyon’s Bruno Guimaraes after the midfielder reportedly informed his club that he wants to move to St James’ Park.
That’s according to a recent report from 90min, who claims the industrious Brazilian is keen to ply his trade in England’s top-flight.
Guimaraes, 24, joined Lyon two years ago after making an £18m move from Atletico-PR.
Since his arrival in Ligue 1, the defensive midfielder has gone on to feature in 71 matches, in all competitions, directly contributing to an impressive 11 goals, along the way.
Despite clearly being viewed as one of his side’s most important players, a recent interview with Globo (via Get Football France News) saw the 24-year-old criticise the French league’s style of play.
“In France, there are moments where we play like robots,” the Brazilian said. “Nobody tries to dribble, to find a pass, for example.
“That irritates me sometimes, it is a bit frustrating. I think that those who have talent should profit from that, try to dribble, try to link moves. If you do that, your game will be complete.”
Continued speculation has suggested that newly taken over Newcastle United could be set to complete a sensational January transfer worth around £30m (Sky Sports).
A potential deal seemed to be scuppered by Lyon, who recently released a statement denying the links, suggesting Guimaraes would remain with the club beyond the current window.
L’Olympique Lyonnais dément catégoriquement les fausses informations diffusées par de nombreux médias faisant état d’un accord entre Newcastle et l’OL pour le transfert du milieu de terrain international brésilien Bruno Guimaraes. https://t.co/d0bjVX6UsC
— Olympique Lyonnais (@OL) January 26, 2022
However, other reports, including BBC Sport’s have remained adamant that the Magpies are working hard to get a deal across the line.
Leaving fans wondering whether or not their side can pull off what would be one of this January’s standout pieces of business, Newcastle United now have just four days to complete a deal.
In fact, 90min also claim that should progress not be made by the weekend, the Toon, led by their new cash-rich hierarchy, are willing to walk away.