Lyon may have cried “fake news” on Wednesday over Newcastle’s interest in Guimaraes, but this is a typical stance from the Ligue 1 club.
And reports on Thursday suggest a move is edging closer, with L’Equipe claiming an improved offer of £35m – plus £8.3m in bonuses – could sway Lyon into selling the midfielder.
The 24-year-old Brazilian would be a welcome addition to the squad, with Newcastle hoping to complete their third January transfer after welcoming Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood to the North East.
Analysis: Newcastle would benefit from a No 6 like Bruno
By Mark Douglas, i northern football correspondent
Newcastle absolutely desperately need a defensive midfielder and it has been a target for the last three transfer windows – they tried for Boubakary Soumaré (who signed for Leicester in the summer) last January and attempted to get Hamza Choudhury on loan before this season started.
It makes sense Newcastle are looking to strengthen in this position. The team would benefit from a proper No 6 who can break from deep and help link up play – they have not had a player like that for some time.
Guimaraes has been on the radar for a while but until the takeover the club never thought they could get him.
How Newcastle could line up
The stats: Guimaraes out-tackles and passes his teammates
Guimaraes, capped three times by Brazil, has been Lyon’s first-choice defensive midfielder this season, predominantly lining up alongside Maxence Caqueret in front of a four, but more recently three-man defence.
It has been a strange campaign for Lyon, who drew six straight games in December and January and currently sit 10th in Ligue 1, but Guimaraes has been one of their standout players.
He averages the most tackles per game of any Lyon player (2.4 to Caqueret’s 2.2), has played the most key passes (1.7 per game), and also boasts the joint-most assists (three) with Lucas Paqueta.
Guimaraes is joint-seventh for most tackles in Ligue 1 and 10th for most passes completed, comfortably making him Lyon’s metronome given his nearest teammate is Emerson Palmieri down in 40th.
Via @hugoguillemet at L'Equipe: new #nufc offer of £35m for Bruno Guimaraes.
No response yet from Lyon but that is a big offer. #nufc really need a breakthrough. Watch this space…
A swashbuckling midfielder who out-tackles and passes his teammates sounds like just the ticket for Newcastle.
Given they have been regularly under the cosh this season it is no surprise to see four players among the Premier League’s top 50 tacklers – Sean Longstaff (24th – 42), Joelinton (29th – 41), Jacob Murphy (38th – 37), Joseph Willock – but there is no one standout player when you look at their midfield.
Premier League midfielders – Top 20 tacklers and passers
Stats from 2021-22 season – players in bold feature in both lists
Tackles
Nørgaard (Brentford) – 71
Dallas (Leeds) – 61
McGinn (Aston Villa) – 52
Gallagher (Crystal Palace) – 51
Rice (West Ham) – 51
Bissouma (Brighton) – 50
Fred (Man Utd) – 50
Allan (Everton) – 48
Romeu (Southampton) – 48
Ndidi (Leicester) – 47
Moutinho (Wolves) – 46
Soucek (West Ham) – 45
Rodri (Man City) – 44
Neves (Wolves) – 42
Jorginho (Chelsea) – 42
Højbjerg (Tottenham) – 42
Lees-Melou (Norwich) – 42
S. Longstaff (Newcastle) – 42
Kovacic (Chelsea) – 40
B. Silva (Man City) – 40
Passes
Rodri (Man City) – 1,580
Højbjerg (Tottenham) – 1,321
Henderson (Liverpool) – 1,308
B. Silva (Man City) – 1,259
Rice (West Ham) – 1,222
Jorginho (Chelsea) – 1,197
Nørgaard (Brentford) – 1,110
Moutinho (Wolves) – 1,090
Neves (Wolves) – 1,087
Fernandes (Man Utd) – 1,045
Saiss (Wolves) – 1,039
Romeu (Southampton) – 984
Fred (Man Utd) – 928
Ward-Prowse (Southampton) – 920
Fabinho (Liverpool) – 890
Tielemans (Leicester) – 869
Soucek (West Ham) – 847
Skipp (Tottenham) – 845
Kovacic (Chelsea) – 829
Dallas (Leeds) – 828
In contrast, clubs above them do have that figure. Christian Norgaard at Brentford, Yves Bissouma at Brighton, Oriol Romeu at Southampton. The list could go on, while the fact West Ham boast Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek and Wolves have both Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves perhaps explains why these two sides are currently a cut above the pack that are looking to break up the Big Six.
This is where Newcastle want to be, and this is the window where the revolution was supposed to start. It has been a difficult month, understandably, but the club are a few recruits away from strengthening their survival prospects.
Joe Willock, Sean Longstaff and Jonjo Shelvey would perhaps like to think otherwise, but at the very least Guimaraes could ignite a competitive spirit that should serve only to boost their chances of staying up.
Guimaraes would be one such addition, an ideal candidate capable of going straight into the side given Isaac Hayden is currently sidelined with injury.
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