Barcelona eye SHOCK €100m move for Premier League star

Tom Weber

• Updated: 29 May 2023 10:28 BST
• 3 min read

Barcelona are lining up a big-money move for Newcastle United star Bruno Guimaraes, according to reports.

The Catalans are looking to add some more midfield prowess this summer following the departure of club legend Sergio Busquets, and they have reportedly identified the Newcastle man, though it would take a sizeable fee for the LaLiga side to prise the Brazilian away from the Magpies.

Guimaraes has come to typify the glittering, new-look Newcastle under Saudi ownership. A big-money, €42.1 million arrival following the takeover, the 25-year-old has been crucial to Eddie Howe's transformation of the club, which has seen the Magpies go from Premier League strugglers to Champions League participants.

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The nouveau riche side may face a tough battle in the summer, though, because, according to the Times, Barcelona are eyeing a move for their star midfielder, and they would be prepared to pay up to €100m to get him. Guimaraes' development at Newcastle has been impressive: when he signed, his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) stood at €20.1m; now he is peaking at €50m - but can Barcelona afford him?

Financial struggles

Barcelona's much-publicised economic problems still loom large, and although they have already managed to slim down their expenses - and the departures of legends Busquets and Jordi Alba will help as well, freeing up as much as €40m in salaries - there are still questions about Barcelona's ability to sign and register new players.

The Blaugrana will likely need to actually sell some established faces before they can think about spending €100m on Guimaraes considering that they also reportedly want to bring back Lionel Messi, who will command a massive salary, as well as being linked with Angel di Maria, another expensive name.

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Either way, it is shaping up to be an intriguing summer both at Newcastle, who desperately want to keep Guimaraes for their European adventure, and Barcelona, who need to be savvy in order to be able to bring in their priority targets.