Newcastle's plan to replace Bruno Guimaraes - Froholdt? Kone? Experienced route?
Bruno Guimaraes has said his goodbyes at Newcastle United, leaving the La Manga training camp now that his proposed switch to Arsenal is all but done.
It was announced on Wednesday that the Gunners have struck a £75m deal for the Brazilian, who will bring an end to his four-year stint on Tyneside.
It's a huge blow to lose a world-class midfielder and much-loved character, but Newcastle must move on as this summer of change continues.
But who will Newcastle look to sign? How will the club react to his departure? Which profile will we target?
Newcastle's next steps
The Athletic's Chris Waugh and George Caulkin have released a new piece on Newcastle's next steps as we plan for life after Bruno Guimaraes.
Quality is key, as Bruno's loss leaves a creative hole in our midfield, but club chiefs are conscious of the need for experience after a summer that's seen us land young talents like Toure (20), Steur (18), Bamba (20) and Jaouen (20), while Hornicek is only 24.
That leaves us with a decision to make and a clear gap to fill, from a creative and leadership perspective, with the latter also key at a time we've recently lost former captains Trippier and Lascelles.
But who are the options being discussed? The Athletic highlight that Porto's Victor Froholdt is admired, but his asking price could be a problem. Stuttgart's Angelo Stiller is also on the club's radar for his ability to dictate play from deep, while Roma's Manu Kone remains on our radar.
'Selling clubs now know that Newcastle will be coming. Finding a bargain feels very unlikely, although this is no longer the point. There is a compelling story in a young manager leading a youthful team, but with Guimaraes gone, there is a desperate need for at least some experience as well as quality.
'There is admiration for Victor Froholdt, the Denmark midfielder, though Porto’s asking price may be prohibitive. Newcastle have also admired Angelo Stiller’s ability to dictate the tempo of matches at Stuttgart, and France midfielder Manu Kone, from Roma, was floated earlier in the window.
'The latter two names more fit the profile of player it is being suggested Newcastle may pursue, with the need for “experience” actively being cited internally. Four of Newcastle’s five summer recruits have been aged 20 or under, while a vast amount of leadership has departed since the season ended.
'Feasibly, Newcastle may determine that one player alone will not compensate for the loss of Guimaraes. A midfielder and another creative player in a different position could be brought in, should they go down that route.
'Beyond a Guimaraes successor, however, at least one full-back and ideally multiple are required, while another attacker may yet be sought.'
Creative right-winger now needed more than ever?
The penultimate line from The Athletic may be a wise. We won't replace Bruno's creativity, class and leadership with one signing, if we're being realistic, so using that money to land one right-sided number eight and another creative player could be smart.
Our right side has lost a lot in recent times, as we've not only seen Trippier decline and ultimately depart, but Jacob Murphy regress from his 2024/25 numbers just as Anthony Elanga struggled to make an impact. Tino Livramento's inability to create and combine has also limited our attacks down that side.
With that in mind, I honestly believe a creative right-winger is needed now more than ever, not only to replace Murphy, who should be moved on, but to fill part of the void that Bruno's absence will create.
