Newcastle United's new head coach, Matthias Jaissle, has stated that a decision regarding midfielder Bruno Guimaraes' future was already finalized before he took charge of the club. Arsenal is reportedly close to completing a £75 million ($95 million) transfer for the Brazilian international.

Jaissle, who was appointed as head coach following the departure of Eddie Howe, briefly met Guimaraes at the team's training camp in Spain earlier this week. The 28-year-old subsequently bid an emotional farewell to his teammates and club staff, signaling the end of his tenure.

"I met him quickly, but the decision was already made," Jaissle said in his first press conference as head coach. "It was a nice conversation. He's a fantastic player and a great human being. It's tough but for him now it's the next challenge and we need to deal with it at a later stage. We trust the players who are here already, but we will also see some changes."

Guimaraes' impending move marks the fourth significant player departure from Newcastle in under a year. Last summer, Alexander Isak joined Liverpool, while Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali moved to Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur, respectively, earlier in the current transfer window.

Despite the departures of key players, Jaissle views the club's current transition as an opportunity to build a new era and foster a young, ambitious squad. "This is a challenge and there are so many transitions at the moment," he commented. "Many big players left - legends of the club - but we need to see it as a chance. Not having too many excuses now, just thinking forward about what we can influence. Control the controllables, I used to say, and I'm sure there will be progress this season."

Newcastle has adopted a new transfer policy this summer, focusing on younger players from continental Europe. The club has reportedly spent around £146 million on five players: goalkeepers Lukas Hornicek and Ewen Jaouen, midfielders Aladji Bamba and Sean Steur, and winger Bazoumana Toure. All of these new acquisitions, like Jaissle himself, are new to the Premier League.

Jaissle, 38, arrives at Newcastle after successful spells with Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia and RB Salzburg in Austria. "This is something I don't have on my CV, but that's normal in football," he said. "At one point it has to be your first step and I'm now at that moment after being successful in Saudi Arabia and Austria. Everyone was dreaming about being a part of the Premier League and now here we are."

Newcastle United is scheduled to begin their new campaign against Liverpool at St James' Park on August 23.