Fabrizio Romano confirms Man Utd talks for Bruno Guimaraes as ‘gentleman’s agreement’ fuels incredible transfer | OneFootball

Manchester United’s hopes of signing Bruno Guimaraes in a sensational deal this summer have been given a major lift by Fabrizio Romano, though TEAMtalk can explain why Newcastle will dig their claws in over keeping their inspirational captain and plan to offer him a new contract to stay.

Guimaraes quickly became a crowd favourite on Tyneeside after a £40m move from Lyon in January 2022, leading Newcastle into the Champions League twice and helping them to win a first domestic trophy in 70 years after success in last season’s Carabao Cup final. A beacon of consistency under Eddie Howe, the midfielder is now closing in on 200 appearances for the club, sitting on 189.

However, speculation over his future has gathered serious pace in recent weeks after it was claimed that the 28-year-old had been recommended to Manchester United as a replacement for the departing Casemiro by the man himself, with a series of journalists also since confirming the Red Devils’ interest in an ambitious raid on Newcastle.

To that end, it was reported last week that Man Utd were already in ‘advanced talks’ over a €80m (£69m, $92.5m) summer deal, though the claims did cause conflict among five sources.

Now, reports in his native Brazil of a meeting between the player’s agent and officials from Old Trafford has been confirmed by Romano, while a gentlemen’s agreement further fuels the prospects of a stunning summer move.

On Saturday, Brazilian outlet UOL Esporte reported: “There has already been contact between the club and representatives of the Brazilian.

“…Guimaraes is the main target, as he brings together qualities that appeal to United’s board: Premier League experience, leadership, and a fee considered accessible, around €70 million (£60 million).”

Now, speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano further fuelled the prospects of a deal by confirming that a meeting had taken place.

“What I can confirm is that, yes, a meeting did take place in recent weeks. It wasn’t held yesterday, today or tomorrow, but rather a few weeks ago between Guimaraes’ representatives and Manchester United.

“The information from Brazil is accurate: a meeting was held, and United maintain a good relationship with the agency.

“From there, meetings can lead to agreements on personal terms, and eventually to registering the player in the summer, but there is still a long way to go.

“As I mentioned in a video earlier this week, Bruno Guimaraes is admired by Manchester United, yes, but so too is Tonali, and other players are on the list, including Elliot Anderson.”

The prospects of a move have also been talked up by Football Transfers, who claims Guimaraes has a ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ that he can leave St James’ Park this summer for a Champions League club and if the Magpies themselves fail to qualify for the competition again.

Want more breaking transfer lines from original sources? Add TEAMtalk as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust.

Newcastle confident of keeping Guimaraes  – Sources

While Sunday’s painful home defeat to Sunderland left the Magpies down in 12th place and now seven points adrift of the top five, that doesn’t necessarily mean an exit is imminent for the 28-year-old.

What TEAMtalk can tell you on the matter is that Newcastle have firmly denied claims that any talks have taken place with Manchester United – or any other club – over a potential deal for Guimaraes this summer.

Furthermore, the Magpies are set to hold talks with the midfielder over a record-breaking new contract, aimed at not just putting those rumours to bed, but by ensuring their star midfielder’s best years are spent on Tyneside.

TEAMtalk understands that Guimaraes himself is aware of the mounting attention, but is not pushing for an exit.

In fact, the midfielder is believed to be open to committing his future to the club, with Newcastle prepared to reward him accordingly.

As we exclusively revealed in January, discussions over a new long-term contract are expected, and any proposed deal would see him become the club’s first player to earn more than £200,000 per week.

Last week, two more sources backed up our claims, with one journalist less than impressed at the speculation.

Writing on X and dropping a familiarly spiky response, The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards snapped back at claims Man Utd were nearing a deal: “No, they’re not. Nobody at Newcastle has heard anything about this, so there are no talks, let alone advanced ones.

“Does that mean there is no truth in Manchester United’s interest? Well, that’s a different question, but as things stand, nothing is going on.”

The iPaper’s Mark Douglas also moved to refute the claims. He posted: “Safe to say reports Manchester United are in ‘advanced negotiations’ over an €80m move for Newcastle United’s skipper Bruno Guimaraes is news to those at Newcastle United this AM.

“Bruno was in Barcelona supporting the team over the last 48 hours, of course.

“Buckle in for months of this sort of thing…”

Meanwhile, Manchester United have begun laying the groundwork for a significant overhaul at left-back ahead of the summer transfer window, with TEAMtalk able to exclusively reveal a shortlist of targets – including an emerging opportunity to prise Myles Lewis-Skelly away from Arsenal.

Elsewhere in the midfielder signing hunt, the Red Devils are reported to have a ‘serious interest’ in a Real Madrid star amid claims he could leave for a fee in the region of €50m (£43m, $57m) this summer.

Up at Newcastle, sources have confirmed to TEAMtalk that bolstering the striker position is a top priority for Newcastle ahead of the next transfer window, with the identities of two main targets now revealed.