As the transfer window approaches, attention has shifted as to whom Manchester City may target this summer. A report from Steve Kay for footballtransfers.com indicates that the champions have their eye on Bruno Guimaraes. Kay’s report also indicates that City isn’t willing to pay the £100 million release clause to sign the Newcastle midfielder. It raises the question of whether £100 million is too big a price to pay for the Newcastle midfielder? That appears to be the question ahead of the transfer window opening in the near future.
Steve Kay has reported that while Manchester City are interested in signing the Brazilian international, they would likely not pay £100 million for Guimaraes. Furthermore, Kay reports that if the fee was lowered, the champions may move for the Newcastle midfielder. Kay adds that Eddie Howe’s side are unlikely to lower their asking price for one of their key players.
It seems that the asking price for Bruno Guimaraes may be to steep for Manchester City.
£100 million is a steep price to pay for any player. It’s a figure that Manchester City has only paid once in the club’s history. Jack Grealish was signed by the champions from Aston Villa for £100 million in July 2021. Outside of that, the world champions haven’t paid such a sizable fee for a player. Given that transfer fees continue to rise, it won’t be surprising to see Manchester City eventually pay over £100 million for a player in the near future. But could that player be Bruno Guimaraes? That’s a different question entirely.
There is no doubt to Newcastle that Bruno Guimaraes is worth £100 million, if not more, for what he provides Eddie Howe’s side. He is one of their key players and arguably their most important midfielder. He is the heartbeat of the Newcastle midfielder and is beloved by Newcastle fans. Guimaraes has become one of the top midfielders in the Premier League during his spell at the Magpies. Based on all of that, it is obvious to see why Newcastle has inserted such a steep release clause in the contract of Bruno Guimaraes.
But is what Bruno Guimaraes could provide Manchester City worth playing £100 million for? That’s a different discussion. On face value, it would appear that it could be too big a transfer fee to pay for a player that would essentially be a player to back up Rodri. While there would be occasions that City’s midfield general could be paired with a player like Guimaraes, more often than not, the Brazilian is likely to be a backup player to begin life at Manchester City. There is no doubt that Bruno Guimaraes could eventually find a starting role in Pep Guardiola’s squad. He has that quality. But that may depend on what tactical shifts the City manager makes for next season.
It would appear that the day will come that Manchester City will spend £100 million or more on a player. It’s the way of the transfer market. It just may not be on Bruno Guimaraes, given Steve Kay’s recent report and the role he could potentially be tasked with playing at Manchester City.
