Bruno Guimaraes heading off to Chelsea is a joke

Bruno Guimaraes travelled to Europe in January 2020, Lyon paying £18m to Athletico Paranaense.

Over the next two years, the Brazilian became one of the best all action midfielders in Ligue 1 and arguably one of the very best across the big five European leagues. His underlying stats excellent when analysing his performances.

Deciding he wanted to move clubs and be settled well ahead of the Qatar World Cup finals, Bruno Guimaraes telling Lyon he wanted to move in January 2022 rather than waiting for the summer (2022).

In a brilliant move by Eddie Howe and the new Newcastle United owners, they pulled off surely the deal of 2022, signing Bruno Guimaraes for £35m guaranteed, plus £6.65m in potential future add-ons.

Eddie Howe then managing the player superbly, giving him the chance to settle in, integrate into the squad, have a handful of brief cameos, before some six weeks after joining Bruno Guimaraes at last made his first NUFC start, scoring an astonishing backheel volley to seal a win away at Southampton.

Indeed, it was some two and a half months after joining, that Bruno Guimaraes at last made his first start at St James’ Park in April. With Newcastle so deep in relegation trouble, it just proved what bottle Eddie Howe has to do the right thing no matter what others say, making the club’s most expensive ever signing and then playing him so little in the short-term.

There was actually little / zero short-term pain as Bruno’s new squad-mates did so well from late January onwards, though for sure the long-term benefits of this handling of Bruno Guimaraes have been immense.

At Lyon he was an excellent all action midfielder, now he is an excellent all action midfielder who scores and creates goals. That’s Eddie Howe you know.

At Lyon, Bruno Guimaraes scored three goals in 70+ (all competitions) matches, with Newcastle United he has only 20 Premier League matches but already has 10 direct goal involvements, scoring seven and three assists.

A brilliant all action 24 year old midfielder who now scores and creates goals, what is not to like / love?

Less than ten months after signing for Newcastle United and the inevitable, surprised it has taken so long.

The media claiming Bruno Guimaraes is set to leave Tyneside.

The destination they are claiming is Chelsea.

A number of reports had claimed Chelsea were set to go for / sign Bruno Guimaraes, as they are desperate for top quality central midfielder.

Then Goal Brazil have claimed that Chelsea are now in talks with Bruno’s agents, to discuss personal terms ahead of a January 2023 move to Stamford Bridge

The underlying mood of many / most of these articles is that Bruno Guimaraes will be moving to Chelsea.

I’m sorry but I just find the idea laughable.

I’m not saying that Bruno Guimaraes will never leave Newcastle United BUT to move in January 2023 AND go to Chelsea, well, it’s just not happening.

Yes, if you compare these last 15-20 years or so when Roman Abramovich was buying Chelsea fans trophy after trophy, whilst Mike Ashley simply trampled Newcastle fans into the ground season after season, then you would see this as a no-brainer move.

However, a lot has changed in these past 12 months.

Chelsea have lost the Putin’s mate sugar daddy who took the natural wealth that should have benefited Russian people and used it to buy football trophies. They have been taken over by new owners with big talk but who so far have only succeeded in sacking a Champions League winning manager and spending crazy money on dubious signings, over a quarter of a million in their first window, a new record.

Whilst on the other hand the new Newcastle United owners have ticked pretty much every box in making the right decisions on both key appointments and buying players. Chelsea spent more this past summer than Newcastle United have spent in their last four windows combined, yet currently NUFC sit higher than the cockneys in the Premier League table.

No guarantees that will not change BUT also no guarantees that it will change.

Newcastle United are now competing and will continue to do so.

Bruno Guimaraes loves it at Newcastle United, he loves the region and fans, his family have repeatedly said the same (Bruno’s parents have relocated to Tyneside as well and go to matches home and away).

Bruno and his partner just had their first baby (boy – Matteo) on Friday.

With things going so well on and off the pitch, who on earth would believe that Bruno Guimaraes would be interested in moving to Chelsea in January?

Bruno Guimaraes very soon after he signed, said that he had been sold the dream by Newcastle United, a plan in place to improve the club season after season, to get competitive and turn the screw bit by bit.

Putting my realistic head on, I think that whilst Bruno Guimaraes signed a contract until the end of June 2026, the reality is that both club and player would have looked at it from the point of view of where will be at after two full seasons (for both the new NUFC owners and Bruno).

By summer 2024, Bruno Guimaraes will be still only aged 26 and will be looking at his career moving forward.

I think if by that point, Newcastle United have shown significant progress in terms of getting competitive, then every chance of keeping him.

The bottom line is, if Bruno Guimaraes could satisfy all his dreams at Newcastle United, both in terms of domestic trophies and in the Champions League, plus become a regular for Brazil, why move anywhere.

Stay on Tyneside and become an idol, winning trophies and the heartbeat of the team, whilst at the same time he and his partner (and extended family) bringing up a brood of Geordie kids.

This is the challenge these next two seasons I think, for this club / team to grow with Bruno Guimaraes and become the monster that we all know is possible.

One thing for sure, to be sitting here in the top four already, having also had the third best form in the Premier League in the second half of last season, well, safe to say that Newcastle United are currently well ahead of schedule in this journey towards where both they and Bruno Guimaraes want to travel to.