Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.
Matthias Jaissle revealed a decision on Bruno Guimaraes’ future had already been made by the time he first met Newcastle United’s departing captain.
Guimaraes joined Newcastle from Lyon in 2022 and has gone on to make 195 appearances across all competitions, scoring 31 goals and providing 31 assists.
He also captained Newcastle to their first domestic trophy in 70 years in the EFL Cup final last March, though his time at St. James’ Park is expected to be coming to an end.
Following a breakthrough in talks at the end of last month, Guimaraes is expected to join Premier League champions Arsenal in a deal reportedly worth up to £75m.
Jaissle, who was officially confirmed as Eddie Howe’s successor on Wednesday, reportedly spoke to Guimaraes briefly at the club’s pre-season training camp in Spain.
However, the 28-year-old went on to bid an emotional farewell to Newcastle’s staff and his team-mates, though Jaissle already knew he would take charge of the Magpies without their influential Brazilian midfielder.
“I met him quickly, but the decision was already made,” Jaissle said in his first meeting with reporters following his appointment as head coach.
“It was a nice conversation. He’s a fantastic player and a great human being. It’s tough, but for him now it’s the next challenge, and we need to deal with it at a later stage.
“We trust the players who are here already, but we will also see some changes.”
— Newcastle United (@NUFC) August 6, 2026
It has been a difficult period both on and off the pitch for the Magpies, with Howe leading them to a 12th-place finish in the Premier League last season.
Newcastle lost 17 top-flight games in 2025-26, last losing more matches across a single Premier League campaign in 2017-18, when Rafael Benitez was at the helm.
They sold Alexander Isak to Liverpool for a Premier League-record £125m fee last summer, while this year, Anthony Gordon has joined Barcelona and Sandro Tonali departed for Tottenham in a deal reportedly worth £100m.
It had been reported that Howe was disgruntled about the club’s transfer business ahead of the 2026-27 season, with several of Newcastle’s biggest players being up for sale.
Ewen Jaouen, Sean Steur, Aladji Bamba, Bazoumana Toure and Lukas Hornicek have joined the club, though Jaissle believes that Guimaraes’ impending departure offers Newcastle a chance to rebuild.
“This is a challenge, and there are so many transitions at the moment,” Jaissle added. “Many big players left – legends of the club – but we need to see it as a chance.
“Not having too many excuses now, just thinking forward about what we can influence.
“Control the controllables, I used to say, and I’m sure there will be progress this season.”
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