Best clubs in Europe now queuing up for Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes – Perfectly relaxed | OneFootball

Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak are making the headlines on what now feels like a daily basis.

Their performances attracting attention.

So as well as analysis of how they are performing for Newcastle United, the media so keen to report on where Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes will be playing their football next season.

It is quite amusing just how desperate so much of the media are to see Newcastle lose both Bruno and Isak.

One or both players constantly linked with the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester City, PSG, Barcelona, Arsenal and so on.

I am perfectly relaxed about all of this.

For a number of reasons.

Firstly, the best clubs wanting your players only happens when those Newcastle United players are high quality and showing it on the pitch.

Secondly, there is nothing you can do to stop the media speculating on this interest from other clubs, so just relax.

Thirdly, there is nothing you can do to stop other clubs putting bids in for your team’s best players. Similarly, just relax.

Fourthly, not even the shameless media of today, are even suggesting that the likes of Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes are agitating for a move away from St James’ Park.

There are also additional reasons as to why we should all just take this in our stride, rather than be getting stressed about potentially Newcastle United’s best players leaving.

I have listed below what appears to be the current contract positions now for these 32 Newcastle United players and 14 of them at the moment see their current contracts end within the next 14 months. Whilst at the other end of the scale, 11 have at least three years and a couple of months remaining on their contract, the other seven in the middle of the two extremes, having just over two years to go.

End of June 2024:

Dummett, Ritchie, Karius, Hall, Gillespie, Hendrick

End of June 2025:

Dubravka, Trippier, Schar, Wilson, Burn, Fraser, Lascelles, Krafth

End of June 2026:

Targett, Pope, Almiron, Anderson, Longstaff, Ashby, Hayden

End of June 2027:

Botman, Murphy, Willock

End of June 2028:

Tonali, Gordon, Isak, Barnes, Livramento, Bruno, Miley, Joelinton

Hats off to everybody at Newcastle United, as this is a pretty perfect position with contracts now. Especially when you consider just how desperate a position the club were in just two and a half years ago under the previous regime, including when it came to the contract positions – back in October 2021 so many of the then squad who weren’t good enough but on ludicrously long contracts. So few players that any of us as fans were even interested in keeping.

Eddie Howe has been truly inspired, in both improving so many of the existing players he inherited AND with his choice of signings. A 10 out of 10 for me.

The way the club hierarchy has handled the contract situations in recent times has also been outstanding.

Basically, the best players are at the right end of the contract extremes, the not so best players also at the right end of the contract extremes.

If anybody wants to try and buy Bruno Guimaraes or Alexander Isak this summer, they will find two players who are on contracts that have over four years to go. The same with Tonali, Gordon, Livramento, Miley and Barnes. Whilst Botman, Murphy and Willock a year less left on their deals.

So literally zero contractual pressure on Newcastle United to do any kind of deal with another club.

You compare that to the mess that PSG have found themselves in, losing the best and most valuable player in the world for quite literally nothing this summer. When Mbappe moves on.

We also have the fact that on all known evidence, none of Bruno, Isak, Gordon, Botman, Joelinton, Tonali, Livramento and so on are agitating to leave Newcastle United.

I also look at it as a positive this media coverage and alleged interest from other top clubs in Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak, due to the fact that this will surely help drive on the Newcastle United owners that extra bit more, to bring in more top talent to help ensure those best current players, stay current.

Of those 14 Newcastle players who see their current deals end by 30 June 2025 at the latest, it is only a trio of older 30+ players who I see as any kind of a priority to get their deals extended, if Eddie Howe and the club want that to happen.

So this summer, I would guess we will see the club getting the likes of Trippier, Schar and Burn to add another year onto their current deals, or look to sell them. I think another year makes absolute sense in all three cases.

Then looking at those in the middle of this contracts list above, of those with just over two years left on their currents (ending 30 June 2026), I fancy also a no-brainer this summer to be looking at getting extensions on the contracts of both Nick Pope and Elliot Anderson.

Going back to Alexander Isak and Bruno Guimaraes, you are looking at £100m+ for either player if for whatever reason(s) they did leave Newcastle United. Some of the more credible NUFC journalists at the time said their information was that Bruno’s release clause agreed earlier this season as part of his new contract, was actually significantly higher than the £100m figure other journalists were claiming and which has become the lazily repeated accepted figure, as though it is a certain fact.

The very worst case scenario this summer is that Eddie Howe and Newcastle United would see well over £200m banked for two players bought in for a combined £100m these past two years.

Of course, no Newcastle United fan wants to see either Isak or Bruno leave, but not exactly a ‘disaster’ when wondering just what Eddie Howe and NUFC would then be able to do with such an expanded war chest in the transfer market, plus of course massively increased PSR flexibility.