Manchester City to trigger £99m Newcastle United release clause - with Pep Guardiola admitting he's a huge fan of Toon star: report
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola may have already provided a huge clue as to which Magpies player he would like to recruit later this year
Manchester City have been linked with a summer move for Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes.
The 26-year-old Brazilian is already known to be hugely popular with City boss Pep Guardiola after he singled him out for praise following the two sides' recent FA Cup clash.
Guimaraes, who is under contract at St. James' Park until 2028, has been a standout performer for the Magpies over the last 18 months and only recently signed a five-year extension.
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With continuing reports from Spain and namely AS claiming Guimaraes is a top priority for City, they also indicate how his current release clause is rumoured to be set at a staggering £99million.
The publication also indicates how the reigning Premier League champions also like the look of both Bayern Munich's Joshua Kimmich and Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz but believe former Lyon man Guimaraes is the ideal candidate.
A consistent performer, Bruno has started all but one of Newcastle's 28 Premier League games this season and featured heavily during their UEFA Champions League campaign.
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PSG, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United are also other interested parties named within the extensive report, but given Guardiola's praise for the midfielder in recent weeks, it may be that City hold a strong hand in terms of potential negotiations.
"He is an exceptional holding midfielder, said Pep after Manchester City's 2-0 win on Sunday. "He is aggressive, with the ball or without the ball.
"At set pieces, he’s aggressive and is a real, complete holding midfielder since being at Lyon and now at a club who wants to grow up and up.
"I’m sure he’s part of the project for the next years. Definitely."
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Matthew is a Freelance Journalist and has racked up bylines for Manchester United, Manchester Evening News, GOAL and SPORTbible to name a few. A long-term sufferer of Scunthorpe United, he currently resides in the north-west after escaping the smog of North Lincolnshire.