Monday afternoon brought with it sensational speculation that Newcastle United's main man Bruno Guimaraes had been offered to Barcelona as part of a swap deal for fellow Brazilian Raphinha. Barcelona-based journalist Gerard Romero claims the Magpies have offered €30m (£25.6m) plus the ex-Lyon man in a bid to tempt the La Liga giants into parting ways with the former Leeds winger.
Such a ludicrous rumour can be easily dismissed for a number of reasons. Number one: Newcastle have always planned to build Eddie Howe's new-look Magpies team around him, with a new contract expected to be signed, sealed and delivered before the end of the summer.
Howe has repeatedly spoke of the need to sign more players of Bruno's ilk as Newcastle go to the next level. The 25-year-old bid farewell to Ligue 1 side Lyon as a relatively-unknown figure but wasted no time becoming a fan-favourite at St James' Park, proving to be a shrewd piece of scouting by the Toon recruitment chiefs.
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“He’s a very important piece (in our project)," Howe told reporters in March. "When you look at our team, I think he’s a unique player, you’re not going to find too many players like him. The way he receives the ball, his technical delivery under pressure, his eye for a creative pass."
Howe's desire to keep Bruno doesn't go just one way. The player has repeatedly expressed his graduate for the love he and his family receive on a daily basis on Tyneside. There is also the small matter of Bruno spearheading Newcastle's Champions League charge when the new campaign rolls around.
“I think we can. If we see what we did last season, we were a team that was fighting against relegation," Bruno said earlier this year. "Now we have got to a final, we’re fighting for the Champions League. This club will be in the Champions League every year in the future.
“What makes me happy is knowing that this is just the first year. We have the potential to be a giant in the world. I’m happy and proud to be part of the revolution of the team, of the city, of everyone, because the city is about football. I can feel it since I signed for the club. This is very special for me.
“I think about staying here for a long time. When I signed, I thought I would like to put my name in the club’s story. I think I’m doing it, but, of course, to get my name there, I need to win a title."
Even if Newcastle were to decide signing Raphinha is worth Bruno's exit and the inevitable fan backlash that would arise, Raphinha has repeatedly made it clear he sees his future at the Nou Camp.
“I will stay at Barca next season and the season after next, and the season after that, I have many years on my contract and I hope to serve those years and many more," he said last week. “Barcelona is a city I love, we Brazilians are very happy here."
Barcelona may be keen to offload Raphinha and sign Guimaraes in the coming weeks. But they face an incredibly tough task pulling off such a huge summer deal.
