Jaissle confirms Guimaraes decision was ‘already made’ before his Newcastle arrival | OneFootball

Newcastle United head coach Matthias Jaissle says losing Bruno Guimaraes is “tough” but insists the club must now focus on moving forward.

Guimaraes is closing in on a move to Arsenal, bringing an end a four-year stay at St James’ Park.

Jaissle revealed the Brazil international’s future had already been decided by the time he arrived as Newcastle boss, leaving him with little opportunity to influence the situation.

“I met him quickly, but the decision was already made,” Jaissle said.

“It was a nice conversation. He’s a fantastic player and a great human being.”

The German acknowledged Guimaraes’ departure is a significant blow but believes both player and club must now look ahead.

“It’s tough but for him now it’s the next challenge and we need to deal with it at a later stage,” he added.

Jaissle also hinted there could be further changes to his squad before the transfer window closes, while expressing confidence in the players already at his disposal.

“We trust the players who are here already, but we will also see some changes,” he said.