Barcelona do not regret missing out on €100 million-rated Newcastle mainstay | OneFootball

Barcelona are set to face off against Newcastle United this Thursday at St. James’ Park, on Matchday 1 of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League.

The match will pit the reigning La Liga champions against some top players from the Premier League, one of whom happens to be Bruno Guimaraes.

Barcelona’s interest in Bruno Guimaraes

As reported by SPORT, Guimaraes was a prime target for Barcelona back in 2023 and 2024, when the club scoured the market in search of a successor to Sergio Busquets, who had departed for Inter Miami.

The stumbling block in the Catalans’ pursuit was the €100 million fee Newcastle demanded for the Brazilian international.

Not even the club’s financial levers could stretch that far, despite the strong desire of Guimaraes himself, who has long dreamed of wearing the Blaugrana shirt.

Barcelona were greatly interested in Bruno Guimaraes. (Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)

Had Barça been in a healthier financial state, they would have gone all in for the Brazilian, as the club felt that Guimaraes would fit in perfectly.

La Masia provides

While Guimaraes was a major target that could not be signed, as per the report, there are no regrets at Barcelona about missing out on such a marquee signing.

After all, the Blaugrana found their solution from La Masia. First, Marc Bernal emerged as an option last season, only to suffer a serious ACL injury, before Marc Casado stepped in and was trusted by Hansi Flick with important minutes.

And, when needed, Gavi has operated in a deeper role, providing further cover.

With this pool of talent at their disposal, Barcelona do not have any regrets about not being able to sign Guimaraes, despite their strong admiration towards the Newcastle star.