Man City add £100m star to trio of midfield targets as they prey on Newcastle FFP woes
Manchester City have reportedly made Newcastle star Bruno Guimaraes one of three midfield targets this summer.
Guimaraes has caught the eye of a number of European giants, including Liverpool, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain as a result of his displays for Newcastle, who may be forced into selling him this summer to comply with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability requirements.
‘Real possibility’ Guimaraes is sold
It was previously claimed there is a ‘real possibility’ that Guimaraes and/or one of his more highly valued teammates may have to be sold.
The Brazilian – who has started every Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup game for the Magpies this season – has a £100m release clause in his Newcastle contract.
While City ‘are in the hunt’ to sign Guimaraes, they’re also looking at Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz – whom Pep Guardiola is a ‘huge fan’ of – and West Ham star Lucas Paqueta as alternative midfield options.
‘Concrete interest’
Transfer expert David Ornstein recently spoke of “concrete interest” in Guimaraes as Newcastle look to balance the books.
“I don’t think it’s a case of needing to sell before buying but more that a sale will be needed to help balance the books,” Ornstein said. “So it’s not so much about the chronology; a sale may come after a purchase. But, yes, a sale is required and Newcastle have been quite clear in admitting that.
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“Whether people like this or not, the sale of a homegrown player would be the best financial solution because it would represent pure profit from a PSR perspective. Also, as much as I’m sure Newcastle love their homegrown players, stars like Isak and Bruno are currently more important.
“But herein lies the problem for them; there aren’t really any homegrown players I imagine they are willing to part with who would generate the required finances to make it worthwhile.
“Those who would do that are the likes of Isak and Bruno. Botman may well have fallen into that category had it not been for his knee injury. Of course, Newcastle wouldn’t want to lose any of them either… but something will have to give.
“For all the recent reports on Isak, I don’t personally know of clubs who are actively looking to move for him (granted he has plenty of admirers but the fee will be huge, his injury record may be a concern and he is so crucial to Newcastle I imagine they will do everything in their power to keep him). So I would be shocked if Isak was sold.
“Eddie Howe has pretty much said that in recent days and I saw some comments from Isak yesterday suggesting he plans to stay. Bruno is an interesting one, though, because I’m aware of clubs who have a concrete interest in him. His style and ability to operate as a No.6 and No.8 is what a number of top sides are seeking.
“Is he as vital and irreplaceable to Newcastle as Isak? I’m not saying a move is sure to happen but equally it wouldn’t surprise me.”
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Where are they now? Laurent Blanc’s 10 incredible signings at PSG
Perhaps Paris Saint-Germain’s most underrated manager of their modern, mega-rich era, Laurent Blanc’s three years in the hot seat helped cement a dynasty built on domestic dominance.
Appointed in 2013 following Carlo Ancelotti’s departure for Real Madrid, the French great was under pressure to follow on from one of the greatest managers of all time with an embarrassment of riches to make use of, a club to mould and owners to please in what has – in hindsight – always been an impossible job.
Blanc fell to the inevitable fate of all PSG managers in 2016 having failed to win the Champions League, but left having won back-to-back domestic trebles and having made 10 (mostly) brilliant signings.
Edinson Cavani
Le President meets El Matador. Having banged them in for fun at Napoli, PSG made Cavani the most expensive signing in French football history (at the time) when paying €64million for his services.
Cavani was almost always overshadowed by a bigger name in Paris – first Zlatan Ibrahimovic, then Kylian Mbappe and Neymar – but it never stopped him from banging in the goals. He left on a free transfer to sign for Manchester United in 2020 having won six league titles (and the rest), finishing up with 200 goals for the club.
He remains their second-highest top scorer in history and likely will be for quite some time. Now 37, the Uruguayan is much closer to home and back in South America with Boca Juniors, reaching the Copa Libertadores final in 2023.
Lucas Digne
Breaking through at Lille, PSG quickly snapped up Digne when he looked to be emerging as one of Ligue 1’s most promising young talents, paying a modest €15million.
He played a backup role for the bulk of his time in Paris before leaving for Barcelona in 2016, but would find himself at Everton just two years later.
The Premier League has proven Digne’s natural calling, with his form for the Toffees earning him a move to Aston Villa in 2022.
Marquinhos
One outstanding season with Roma was enough to tempt Blanc and PSG into paying €31million to snap up Marquinhos in the summer of 2013, and what a decision it was.
Almost 11 years later, the 29-year-old Brazilian captains Les Parisiens, is comfortably one of the best defenders in world football, has made over 400 appearances for the club and is closing in on the all-time appearance record, while also having a stacked trophy cabinet.
Only time will tell if he can add a Champions League to that cabinet.
Yohan Cabaye
Cabaye was a vastly experienced player desperate for a big club to take a chance on him for a long time, having balled out for both Lille and Newcastle.
He returned to France in the middle of the 2013-14 season when PSG paid around £19million to whisk him away from the Magpies, but it didn’t quite work out and he was back in England with Crystal Palace 18 months later.
The French midfielder retired in 2021 after a spell in Dubai and a return to France with St-Etienne, and now works as a director for PSG’s youth academy.
David Luiz
The first glaring miss of the bunch, Les Parisiens paid £50million – a record fee for a defender – to bring Luiz to the Parc des Princes in 2014, only to sell him back to Chelsea two years later for just £30million.
Luiz spent another three years with Chelsea before moving to Arsenal. A rather catastrophic two years in North London wasn’t the end of the road for the Brazilan, who is still going strong at the age of 36 with Flamengo. 
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Serge Aurier
Aurier initially signed on a season-long loan from Toulouse in 2014, but his transfer was made permanent a year later. His spell in Paris came to an end under controversial circumstances, calling manager Blanc a homophobic slur while also taking aim at Angel Di Maria.
Now 31, the two-time AFCON-winning right-back is at Galatasaray after spells with Tottenham, Villarreal and Nottingham Forest.
Kevin Trapp
PSG managed to tempt Trapp away from Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer of 2015 and the German would slowly take the number one spot away from Salvatore Sirigu in his first and second seasons.
However, by 2016-17, after Blanc’s departure, he’d lost his place to a young Alphonse Areola and he returned to Frankfurt in 2018 initially on loan, before making the move permanent.
Trapp has remained at Frankfurt ever since and was crucial in them winning the 2022 Europa League.
Benjamin Stambouli
One season at Tottenham was enough for Stambouli to realise that the grass isn’t always greener away from Ligue 1, having won a title with Montpellier in 2011-12.
PSG paid just £6million to sign the midfielder in 2015, but he was gone the following summer after another one-season move, signing for Schalke and sticking around in Germany until 2021, leaving just as the club’s financial struggles began to worsen.
Stambouli is now back in France with Reims, signing at the beginning of 2024 after a spell in the Turkish Super Lig. He’s been about a bit.
Angel Di Maria
A signing that perhaps should’ve happened a summer earlier, PSG and Di Maria had been flirting with one another in 2014, but the Argentine ended up at Old Trafford after Manchester United coughed up a British record fee.
After one dismal season in England, however, he’d had enough and United cut their losses by selling him to PSG for £44million, where he immediately flourished and set a Ligue 1 assists record in his debut season.
The electric winger settled tremendously in Paris. Despite not winning the Champions League, he left on good terms in 2022 to sign for Juventus, with 295 games under his belt.
He’s now back at Benfica and proving that age is merely a figment of our imagination with a string of throwback performances.
Layvin Kurzawa
After establishing himself as an up-and-coming French star at Monaco, PSG inevitably swooped in for Kurzawa, paying €23million to sign him in 2015.
He’s still on the books in Paris almost nine years later and has won 16 domestic trophies with the club, proving a shrewd purchase, although it looks as though the 31-year-old is finally surplus to requirements.
He spent last season on loan with Fulham in 2022-23 and has made just one appearance for Les Parisiens under Luis Enrique this season.
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Ruben Amorim hints at Liverpool snub for same reason as Xabi Alonso
Ruben Amorim has hinted that he may snub interest from Liverpool to remain the Sporting Lisbon manager next season.
Amorim has been the favourite to succeed Jurgen Klopp at Anfield ever since Xabi Alonso ruled himself out of the running by committing his future to Bayer Leverkusen.
No agreement with Liverpool
The Portuguese boss is also on the radars of Chelsea and Barcelona, but reports earlier this month claimed Liverpool had held an interview with Amorim, in which they had come to an agreement that he would take the reins this summer.
But Amorim moved quickly to dismiss those reports, insisting he was fully focused on his role with Sporting.
He said: “There was no interview or agreement with Liverpool. The only thing we all want is to be crowned champions and nothing will change. I’ll say it again, I’m Sporting’s coach. There was no interview with any club or agreement with any club.”
Despite those comments, Amorim remains the runaway favourite to take the helm post-Klopp, and his insistence that he is currently the manager of Sporting didn’t mean he was ruling himself out of the running.
Unfinished ‘cycle’ at Sporting
Speaking after his side’s 4-0 win over Gil Vicente on Friday, Amorim was once asked about his future.
“A cycle has not yet ended and that depends on the characteristics of each one and on each other’s lives,” he told Record.
“I think all coaches have their own timing and it has nothing to do with [interest] of clubs, but how the coaches feel. I’m speaking generally and not about my situation.Related video: 'No agreement' with Liverpool - Sporting CP boss Amorim denies deal in place with 'Reds' (SNTV)
“I don’t feel like I’ve finished a cycle, I feel like I want to keep going so this isn’t over yet, we want to win and keep moving forward.”
Sporting supporters also displayed a banner during the game, pleading “Stay Amorim!”, and the question Liverpool fans will be asking is how long he believes this “cycle” will last.
It feels like an odd thing to say if he does plan to leave at the end of the season, and in many ways echoes Alonso’s reason for snubbing Liverpool, as he insisted he had unfinished business with Leverkusen.
“It’s the right place for me to be, to develop as a coach,” Alonso said. “The fans showed great support this year. They have all the reasons to believe and dream we can have a great season. The players gave me so many reasons to keep believing in the team. My job is not over here.”
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Newcastle 4-0 Tottenham: Depleted Magpies batter dismal Spurs as Isak, Gordon shine
Newcastle United overcame their injury woes to dismantle a dismal Tottenham side on Saturday afternoon, smashing Ange Postecoglou’s men 4-0.
Eddie Howe’s side started with a makeshift defence. Emil Krafth and Jacob Murphy were both in the back four, with usual starters Dan Burn and Fabian Schar also starting.
Newcastle smash Tottenham at St James’ Park
Unfortunately for the visitors, they were up against a strong Newcastle front three in Anthony Gordon, Harvey Barnes and Isak.
Newcastle struck in the 30th minute after Bruno Guimaraes started a counter attack with a long ball up to Anthony Gordon.
Gordon found Alexander Isak, who took advantage of a slip from Micky van de Ven to smash the ball past Guglielmo Vicario.
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And out of nowhere, it was 2-0.
A woeful pass from Pedro Porro to Vicario found Gordon, who skinned Van de Ven to blast the ball past the Spurs goalkeeper.
Isak made it three for the hosts in the 51st minute. He was found over the top from Guimaraes before slotting the ball past Vicario like a prime Thierry Henry.
Fabian Schar made it four with a few minutes remaining, converting Gordon’s corner to cap off a top performance from the England winger.
A big plus for Newcastle was that Guimaraes did not pick up a yellow card, meaning he has avoided a two-game ban.
More to follow…
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Highest paid footballers in the world: Ronaldo 1st, Messi 5th as Saudi Arabia dominate
Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe are among the highest-paid athletes in the world. You will not be surprised to read that. But where do they rank among their football peers?
Here are the top 10 highest earners in world football, only taking yearly salary into account, not endorsements and bonuses.
Who is the highest-earning male footballer in the world?
10) Harry Kane (£21m per year)
You might be shocked to learn that only two Europe-based players are on this list, with none coming from the Premier League.
Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane is 10th, taking home over £20million a year. If Jordan Henderson stuck it out at Al Ettifaq, he would be in this top 10 in place of his England skipper.
9) Kalidou Koulibaly (£30m per year)
As you can already tell, this ranking is not reflective of player ability. Kalidou Koulibaly is not the ninth-best player in world football. In fact, he does not come remotely close to that.
Saudi Arabia bailed out Chelsea by taking Koulibaly off their hands after a disappointing maiden year at Stamford Bridge.
8) Oscar (£30m per year)
The last man standing in China.
Former Chelsea midfielder chose money as a priority when he moved to Asia in 2017, with Shanghai Port paying around €60m for his services. We all thought it was a waste of a career and we still do. Oscar won’t care, mind. He has made a killing and still is.Related video: The 100 Greatest Footballers In The World (FourFourTwo)
Then happy Tuesday. Welcome to our top 100 footballers in
7) Sadio Mane (£35m per year)
Out with the old and in with the new. The Saudi Pro League is the division taking the world by storm and Koulibaly’s Senegal team-mate Mane was one of the biggest names to move to the Middle East last summer.
The Liverpool icon is raking it in, sitting seventh on this list.
6) Riyad Mahrez (£45m per year)
Leicester City title hero Riyad Mahrez had done it all in England and rode off into the Saudi sunset having completed it, mate.
5) Lionel Messi (£55m per year)
You might have expected to see Lionel Messi higher, but four players do indeed have a superior salary.
He accepted a £55m-a-year contract to join MLS side Inter Miami and made an instant impact, leading them to Leagues Cup glory, which saw David Beckham’s side qualify for this season’s Champions Cup.
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4) Kylian Mbappe (£62m per year)
Kylian Mbappe‘s salary is sure to go up when he joins Real Madrid as a free agent this summer, but as things stand, the Paris Saint-Germain forward is the fourth-highest-paid footballer in the world, taking home £7m more than Messi per year, the peasant.
3) Karim Benzema (£85m per year)
Saudi Arabia picked up the Ballon d’Or holder and it does not get much bigger than that. To tempt the Real Madrid captain to the Middle East, they offered him the second-highest salary in football, until No. 2 joined.
2) Neymar (£86m per year)
Currently out injured, Neymar might not be anything close to the player he was before his knee exploded, but he will always be a player loved by many and hated by plenty of others.
He is the third-best player of this generation behind Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and is now raking it in after being made surplus to requirements at PSG.
1) Cristiano Ronaldo (£173m per year)
Ahead by a country mile and then some, Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is the highest-earning footballer in the world.
The Real Madrid and Manchester United legend has been banging them in for Al Nassr, while entertaining those of us who refuse to watch the Saudi Pro League with his childish antics that have gone viral on social media.
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