Howe hopes Bruno Guimaraes stays at Newcastle as transfer talk increases | OneFootball

Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe says he is unsure on the future of Bruno Guimaraes, but wants his captain to stay at the club.

Guimaraes has been linked with a move away from the club to Arsenal this summer, with reports linking Mikel Arteta’s men to a £70m bid for the Brazilian midfielder.

Speaking after the Magpies were held to a 1-1 pre-season draw by non-league Gateshead, Howe confirmed he is not in the discussions regarding Guimaraes’ future, but has spoken to his captain.

“I’ve spoken to him, as I would do Bruno normally. He’s just a fantastic person,” Howe said. “We’ve had some really good conversations, both before the World Cup, during the World Cup and after the World Cup. So what we speak about obviously has to remain private. But he’s just a great player, a great person.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen with Bruno’s future. That’s for other people to, one, speculate about, but also conversations that I’m not part of.”

Newcastle will be looking to avoid a repeat of the Alexander Isak saga, which led to the Swedish forward leaving for Liverpool late in the transfer window. When asked whether Guimaraes had shown any indication of not planning to return to training, the 48-year-old brushed aside any fears.

“I think you’ve got to look at it in its own right. Bruno, captain of our football club, he’s been an unbelievable player and person all through the time that we’ve worked together.

“I speak on behalf of everyone at the football club. We absolutely love him and, of course, everyone would want him to stay.”