Newcastle United know that 2025 is going to be a big year. This year has been one of frustration, with injuries ruining the end of last season, PSR ruining Eddie Howe's summer transfer plans and inconsistency ruining the fans' hopes that a Champions League place can be reclaimed.
There's no doubt that the Magpies have enjoyed an impressive and blistering rise from the dredges of the Premier League to European competition over the past several years, but progress has faltered and frozen in recent months.
While the Tynesiders pushed for the likes of Marc Guehi and Anthony Elanga during the off-season, they failed to secure their targets, and the knock-on effect is being keenly felt.
Saying that, PIF did manage to keep a grip on the club's holy trinity: Anthony Gordon, Alexander Isak, and Bruno Guimaraes.
That was then, and this is now. One of Europe's biggest clubs are making overtures of their own as they push to sign a Newcastle superstar.
Man City want Newcastle superstar
As per The Times, Manchester City are interested in signing Guimaraes in 2025, with either a January or summer deal believed to be on the cards.
The Brazil international has been one of United's most influential players since joining from Lyon for £40m in January 2022, vital in shaping Howe's team and reaching heights that were unimaginable only months before.
While Guimaraes signed a new five-year deal at St. James' Park only a couple of months ago, it's understood that he has a £100m release clause in his contract, though whether Newcastle will consider a lower bid is uncertain at this stage.
He's racked up 125 appearances for the Magpies and has registered 33 goal contributions across the span of his career on English shores, and though Newcastle have been forced to contend with the possibility of several damaging sales this year, Guimaraes's departure would perhaps be the biggest blow - even more so than Isak.
A bigger blow than losing Alexander Isak
The fact that Manchester City have placed Guimaraes at the top of their shopping list as they look to complete a much-needed midfield rebuild speaks volumes concerning the 27-year-old's ability.
| Matches (starts) | 17 (11) | 32 (32) | 37 (37) | 15 (15) |
| Goals | 5 | 4 | 7 | 0 |
| Assists | 1 | 5 | 8 | 3 |
| Pass completion | 86% | 85% | 85% | 82% |
| Key passes* | 0.7 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 0.9 |
| Dribbles* | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 1.5 |
| Ball recoveries* | 7.0 | 7.7 | 6.5 | 5.3 |
| Tackles + interceptions* | 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 3.1 |
| Total duels (won)* | 6.2 (55%) | 7.0 (57%) | 7.7 (57%) | 7.7 (56%) |
Hailed for his "world-class" quality by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Guimaraes has been one of the most consistent midfielders in the Premier League, and this is clear when looking at the player's metrics across his four campaigns in English football.
With a wonderful range of passing, elite combativeness and an unceasing athleticism that lets him drive forward with penetrative runs, break into the rim of the final third and influence play, Guimaraes is possibly even Newcastle's most prized possession.
Of course, Isak would likely claim that he is the cream of the Toon crop, for he is one of the finest goalscorers in the Premier League.
Isak, 25, joined Newcastle a little later than his South American teammate but completed a club-record £63m transfer from Real Sociedad that stands to this day.
Injuries have been his biggest weakness, but the Sweden international's record of 42 goals and eight assists from 82 fixtures - 69 starts - is evidence enough that he is worthy of a place at the spearpoint of any first-class team on the continent.
But Guimaraes is simply too dynamic and versatile to regard as anything other than the Magpies' most valuable piece of silver. As per FBref, he actually ranks among the top 16% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 5% for assists, the top 8% for shot-creating actions, the top 8% for progressive passes and the top 2% for successful take-ons per 90.
A successful take-on is recorded when a player beats their opponent by directly carrying the ball past them while retaining possession.
Isak's persistent injury issues suggest that Newcastle need to sign a new striker, a situation compounded by Callum Wilson's fresh layoff and looming contract expiry. Newcastle will need to find a new number nine, and they will.
Guimaraes and Gordon have been tied down to contract extensions but Isak appears hesitant to engage in prolonging his own stay at St. James' Park, and with Arsenal known to hold a concrete interest in completing a move, it does feel like one that could happen in 2025.
Of course, the flip side to all this is that Guimaraes' prospective sale - or indeed Isak's - would serve to fill the Newcastle coffers to the brim and hand Howe and his transfer team ample resources to complete some much-needed sprucing of the squad.
But at what cost? Though it's infeasible to think that Newcastle are exempt from losing their prized players, especially if they fail to qualify for European competition for the second season running, Guimaraes has only recently signed a long-term deal and must now be allowed to strengthen a Premier League rival.
Selling Isak would be a damaging blow to the outfit, but losing Guimaraes would be more detrimental still.
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