Arsenal and Man City discover Bruno Guimaraes transfer reality as release clause explained

Arsenal and Manchester City's pursuit of Bruno Guimaraes has been well documented but the two clubs know it will be tough to sign the Newcastle United midfielder this summer.

Since his transfer from Lyon in January 2022, the Brazilian international has emerged as the lynchpin of the Magpies' squad, propelling them to Champions League qualification and a Carabao Cup final appearance last year. Such form has seen Guimaraes linked with a move away from St James' Park, with the Gunners, Man City and PSG among the clubs said to be monitoring his situation.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe confirmed that Guimaraes does have a £100million release clause in his current contract, although Howe revealed it will expire at the end of June. It's understood that the deadline is Monday, June 24 which means Newcastle will soon be in a position to demand any fee they see fit should a suitor attempt to orchestrate a move away from St James' Park.

Premier League champions Man City are believed to be the frontrunners in the race for Guimaraes, with Sky Bet pricing them at 5/6 to lure him to the Etihad Stadium. Despite having a wealth of midfield talent, it's reported that Pep Guardiola is keen to bring the Newcastle star on board to challenge the likes of Rodri, Mateo Kovacic, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Matheus Nunes.

Arsenal, who have shown interest in Guimaraes for some time, are considered 11/2 second favourites. football.london understands the Gunners' priority this window is to sign a central midfielder and Mikel Arteta is an admirer of Guimaraes.

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French champions PSG are at odds of 14/1 to secure his signature, while Spanish powerhouses Real Madrid and Barcelona are priced at 16/1 and 25/1 respectively. Manchester United stand at 25/1 to sign the midfielder this summer.

Guimaraes is believed to be content at St James' Park and is currently representing Brazil at the 2024 Copa America. He's hoping to be in the starting line-up when Brazil face Costa Rica in their opening match in California in the early hours of Tuesday morning.