Manchester City take firm stance on Newcastle’s asking price for Bruno Guimaraes | OneFootball

Premier League champions Manchester City have seemingly taken a firm stance on the subject of Newcastle United’s asking price for Bruno Guimaraes, according to reports.

The 26-year-old is rapidly emerging as Manchester City’s number one transfer target for their midfield recruitment plans during the upcoming summer window, amid complications over other identified names.

The club’s reignited interest in West Ham and Brazil international Lucas Paqueta was brought to an abrupt end last month following the Football Association’s decision to charge the playmaker with breaches of their gambling rules.

Elsewhere, interest in Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala and Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz has resulted in Manchester City realising that both deals would be too complex this summer, while the latter has no interest in leaving his current club.

And that brings us back to the subject of Guimaraes, and his increasingly likely exit from St James’ Park in the coming weeks, but not for the transfer fee that would leave Newcastle helpless in retaining the player.

According to the information of Jordan Cronin, Manchester City are ‘unlikely’ to activate Bruno Guimaraes’ £100 million release clause this month, despite the midfielder ‘featuring high on their transfer wish list’.

It is further exclaimed that despite Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal falling away from conversation of a possible transfer, City’s links to the player ‘remain strong’ but meeting the £100 million valuation is not something they are expected to do ‘at this stage’.

Speaking on his own future in recent weeks, Bruno Guimaraes has remained calm over what could come in the next few weeks, telling Brazilian media, “I leave it in God’s hands. I’m under contract at Newcastle and very happy.

“I’m aware of FFP (at Newcastle United), but very happy here. It’s incredible to see my name linked with big clubs… I don’t know what will happen.”

As for the viewpoint of Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, the Catalan coach has been outspoken in the past about his admiration for Guimaraes’ midfield capabilities, admitting to watching the player prior to his move to Newcastle.

“An exceptional holding midfielder; aggressive, with the ball has the pause, on set-pieces he’s aggressive. A real, real complete holding midfielder since playing in Lyon,” Guardiola admitted during a press conference last season.