Newcastle United's sporting director, Ross Wilson, has revealed that the club had no intention of selling captain Bruno Guimaraes, but the player's emotional request to join Arsenal ultimately influenced the decision. The 28-year-old midfielder is reportedly set to transfer to Arsenal for a fee of £75 million, though official confirmation has not yet been released.
Wilson stated at Newcastle's pre-season training camp in Spain that the sale was not part of the club's strategy. "We didn't want to sell Bruno. It wasn't in the plan to sell Bruno. None of us — or ownership — wanted to sell Bruno," Wilson said. He described Guimaraes as a "very, very important" player and noted that the potential fee represents a world-record amount for a player of his age.
Despite the club's reluctance, Guimaraes's personal wishes played a significant role. "What we had to weigh up was, very respectfully from Bruno with his behaviour towards us, very emotionally as well, effectively told us he wanted to leave and move on," Wilson explained. He added that while the player's desire does not automatically grant a transfer, it factors into the club's considerations when a certain financial threshold is met.
Newcastle has experienced a period of significant change this summer. The impending departure of Guimaraes follows the exits of Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali. Additionally, head coach Eddie Howe resigned last week, with Matthias Jaissle officially appointed as his replacement on Wednesday.
Wilson acknowledged the need for flexibility in the transfer market, noting that plans can change due to unforeseen circumstances. "But we have got to be flexible and react to things that happen," he said. "It might have been in our plan to sign one player but we didn't get him so we move on to another. We can only be honest about that."