Bruno Guimaraes pictured in Arsenal shirt as Newcastle CEO confirms move

Newcastle’s chief executive and sporting director have explained why the club sanctioned the sale of their captain after he pushed for a move.

Arsenal‘s move for Bruno Guimaraes has effectively been confirmed by Newcastle United‘s senior figures, with the club admitting the midfielder’s desire to leave ultimately forced them into a deal they had never planned to make.

Although Arsenal have yet to formally announce the transfer, with paperwork reportedly delaying confirmation, Newcastle chief executive David Hopkinson has acknowledged that an agreement has been reached and suggested the Gunners paid more than they had hoped.

Speaking to The Chronicle, Hopkinson said: “It was not the fee that I think Arsenal had hoped to pay and of course we would have liked an even higher number. But I think you’re dealing with sophisticated actors on both sides and that’s what negotiation looks like.

“It’s a fee that satisfies us. If you want to put a merchandising spin on it, it’s the highest fee for a player in that position at that age. Is that a good deal for Newcastle United? I believe it is. But Arsenal is getting a very special player and special person so this works from a financial perspective for both sides.”

Newcastle’s sporting director Ross Wilson, meanwhile, admitted the club had never intended to sell their captain and that Guimaraes’ wish to leave became a decisive factor in the negotiations.

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He said: “We didn’t want to sell Bruno. It wasn’t in the plan to sell Bruno. None of us, or ownership, wanted to sell Bruno. What we had to weigh up was, very respectfully from Bruno with his behaviour towards us, very emotionally as well, effectively told us he wanted to leave and move on.

“That doesn’t mean he can go but it certainly plays a part in what our thinking is when we hit a certain range of number. But there’s no point in saying it was part of our strategy and was in our thinking this summer, it wasn’t.

“We’d love Bruno Guimares to be in our squad this summer but I’m sure there are other clubs that have lost players that wish they were in their squads this season. It’s the world we live in, we had to adapt.

“Having such an important player leave is disappointing but having a really important player who doesn’t want to play here anymore, for himself, he’s honest about that, it was the only decision to make.”

Newcastle’s new head coach Matthias Jaissle also confirmed Guimaraes’ departure was already settled by the time he arrived at the club.

Jaissle said: “I met him quickly, but the decision was already made.

“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.”

Arsenal are expected to complete the formalities shortly, with The S*n reporting that Guimaraes was already training with his new team-mates on Friday ahead of Sunday’s pre-season friendly against Borussia Dortmund.

The transfer is believed to be worth £75 million flat with no add-ons and will be paid in two instalments.

He will wear the number 39 shirt and an official announcement is imminent.

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