'I'm hearing...' - Bruno Guimaraes to 'move to London and push through Arsenal move'
Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes is likely to force through his move to Arsenal in the coming weeks.
That is according to former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes that the Brazilian "holds all the cards" in the transfer saga at the moment.
Recent reports have suggested that Arsenal would be willing to bid up to £65million for the 28-year-old, while Newcastle are holding out for a fee closer to the £100m mark.
Wyness instead believes that the two clubs could come to a compromise and strike a deal at £90m, with Guimaraes keen to make the move a reality.
Newcastle have already lost Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali this summer, but Wyness has stressed that losing Guimaraes would be like losing their "heartbeat."
The club captain notched nine goals and five assists in the Premier League last term, and has been one of the first names on the teamsheet in recent years.
Keith Wyness: Bruno Guimaraes wants to move to London
Everton’s former chief Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that a desire to live in London is driving Guimaraes' intention to join Arsenal.
The reigning Premier League champions are preparing for the defence of their crown next term, and will also have their eyes on Champions League glory.
Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider's Inside Track podcast, Wyness emphasised that he expects the Gunners to get their pursuit of Guimaraes over the line.
"Bruno is probably the heartbeat of Newcastle and the fans would probably agree with me. He's been the heart and soul of the club going forward," he said.
"Is there a middle ground here at £90m? Will Arsenal go up? Will Newcastle come down? And I think the player in this case has all the cards.
"If he decides he wants to go to London and play for Arsenal, which I'm hearing he does, then I think you may see Arsenal make the deal sweet enough that Newcastle will have to accept it.
"It's close enough that I think it can get done and structured in some way, and I think Newcastle can see the writing on the wall. It's a difficult one for them. But I do expect Bruno to push that through."
Guimaraes could be followed out by another star
Former Everton scout Bryan King told Football Insider earlier this week that Newcastle could be on the verge of another "big blow" with the Toffees chasing a deal for Jacob Murphy.
The winger is out of contract in June 2027, and King expects that the North East outfit may look to cash in and secure as big a fee as possible this summer.
Newcastle have already lost several senior figures in recent weeks, and Guimaraes and Murphy could soon become the next pair to head for the exit.
Eddie Howe and Co. are facing a major rebuild after a difficult season last time out.