It’s been a testing start to the 2023/24 Premier League season for Eddie Howe and his Newcastle side, and with the Champions League beginning again next week the Magpies really need to click into gear.
Three defeats on the bounce have really handed the club a reality check after an opening day demolition of Aston Villa, and any further reverses over the next few weeks are bound to knock the confidence of the players further.
One player that hasn’t quite been a shadow of his former self but does need to improve upon last season’s form quickly is Brazilian midfielder, Bruno Guimaraes.
So often the fulcrum for Howe, the player has been quiet by comparison in the current campaign.
With the likes of Milan, Man City (in the Carabao Cup), Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund all to play in the next six weeks, not to mention a resurgent West Ham United, this could be a really tough period for the team.
Guimaraes might not even have been pulling on the black and white stripes this season if the club had entertained either of the two enquiries that they had for him during the summer.
The Telegraph (subscription required) note that both Chelsea and Liverpool had been in contact and were told in no uncertain terms he was going nowhere.
That might not be the case in the not-too-distant future, however, as the outlet also note that the player is keen to test himself in La Liga.