Newcastle firmly stated that they were not willing to part with the Brazilian international, ensuring he stayed put at St. James Park when the transfer window closed. In response to the heightened interest in one of their prized assets, Newcastle proactively worked on securing Guimaraes to a new contract.
The club recently confirmed that the 25-year-old has committed to a new deal, extending his tenure with Newcastle until June 2028. Despite temporarily fending off the interest, there remains a risk of him leaving the club in future transfer windows.
As per reports from Sport, Guimaraes' new contract includes a release clause that can only be triggered by Barcelona. This 'secret clause' implies that Barcelona could secure Guimaraes for a reduced fee, estimated to be around £60 million, potentially less than Newcastle's initial asking price.
Currently, Barcelona faces limitations in spending such an amount on a single player due to Financial Fair Play concerns. Nevertheless, they haven't ruled out a future pursuit of Guimaraes, who has expressed his desire to play for the Catalan giants at some point in his career.
Guimaraes has proven to be a pivotal figure in Eddie Howe's squad since his arrival from French club Lyon in January 2022. The Brazilian showcased his prowess with four goals and five assists in 32 Premier League appearances last season, contributing to Newcastle's impressive top-four finish. He has continued to be a regular presence in the team during the early months of the 2023-24 campaign, starting in 10 of Newcastle's 11 competitive matches.
