Joelinton has reiterated his commitment to Newcastle and is cautiously optimistic Eddie Howe and Bruno Guimarães feel the same way.
After signing a new contract at St James’ Park in April and recovering from the thigh surgery that sidelined him for much of last season, Joelinton wants to help propel Newcastle back into Europe but acknowledges that for that to happen, they could do with Howe and Guimarães also staying put.
While Guimarães is much admired by, among other suitors, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, Howe is believed to feature prominently on the Football Association’s shortlist for the vacant England coach’s job, with the 46-year-old opening the door to a potential approach from the FA by warning Newcastle’s revamped hierarchy that he could reconsider his future at the club if they fail to offer him sufficient autonomy.
“I think Bruno’s going to stay,” said Joelinton. “He tells me he’s going to come back next week [from a post-Copa América break] and get ready for the season. I know him, he loves the club. He loves the fans, he enjoys his life in Newcastle. I think he’s glad to be there for his life as well as for football.”
It is no exaggeration to say Howe has transformed Joelinton’s career, reinventing the once-struggling £40m forward into a combative left-sided central midfielder. “He’s done a lot for me since day one,” acknowledged the Brazilian. “He’s a great coach, a great man. I love him. I have a lot of respect for him. He definitely changed my career; I will be grateful for ever. We love him here, we want him here. I know he can take us to the next level.
“To see his name [linked] with the England job shows how good he is, how well he’s done since he came here. But of course we want him to stay for as long as possible. We want to stay with him.”
Joelinton hopes Howe and Guimarães can help enable him to reclaim his place in Brazil’s midfield before the next World Cup. “It’s my goal,” he said. “I hope my [on-field] relationship with Bruno can help get me back into the national team but my first focus is Newcastle.
“I’m very happy here, I love the club, the city, my family is happy, I enjoy my life. I’m happy to continue my journey here; my hopes are high for the next season. Last season was difficult for me with the injuries but now I want to help us get back up there again.”
Joelinton played a key role in Newcastle’s qualification for the Champions League in 2023. Last season, however, they missed out on European football altogether after slipping to seventh and the 27-year-old appears to be on a mission to reverse that downward trend.
“We have great expectations,” Joelinton said. “We have high expectations. We have big goals, we want to be better. We want to compete with the best. There are great characters in the group. The ambition is still high; we hope we can get into Europe.” Newcastle’s cause should be helped by Sandro Tonali’s availability to play alongside Joelinton and Guimarães in midfield once the Italy international’s 10-month suspension for breaches of betting regulations is lifted on 27 August.
As Howe’s squad trained in southern Germany last week, Joelinton was seen with his arm round Tonali offering him encouragement. “Sandro’s a great lad,” he said. “He works really hard. I hope he can really help the team this season because he’s a great player.”
