Rage at UCL exit…oil money dumped, dreams of Barça linked to sale of Levandowski
Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle United) is thinking about a move after drinking the bitter cup of finishing last in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) in what was a very difficult campaign.
Newcastle lost their 2023-24 UCL Group F final against AC Milan (Italy) 1-2 on Thursday (June 14) at St. James’ Park in Newcastle, England. With one win, two draws, and three losses, Newcastle is eliminated with five points. A win over Milan would have given them third place in the group and a ticket to the Europa League (UEL) round of 16 playoffs.
Newcastle, the team that finished fourth last season and qualified for the UCL after a healthy injection of “oil money” from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund (PIF).
The start of the UCL wasn’t bad either. They held on for a 0-0 draw away to Milan and then thrashed Paris Saint-Germain (F) 4-1 at home to boost their chances of reaching the round of 16. However, they lost both home and away to Borussia Dortmund (GER) and didn’t get what they wanted in a 1-1 draw at PSG.
Newcastle had a tough time adjusting to playing the Premier League, League Cup (Carabao Cup), and UCL. They were missing wins in the league, which led to a drop in the standings. After 16 rounds, the club is in seventh place with 26 points, which is not good enough for Newcastle fans or management.
Eddie Howe”s departure has been rumored. Newcastle are in turmoil ahead of the winter transfer window next January, with rumors suggesting that Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma could be in the running.
The UCL exit is naturally affecting the players. This is especially true for Brazilian central midfielder Guimarães. According to Football Insider, “Guimarães has been linked with a move to FC Barcelona. There are reports that he wants to join FC Barcelona.
Guimarães is said to be furious at being knocked out of the group stage. In October, he signed a new contract with Newcastle until June 2028, stabilizing his situation, but it came with strings attached. If the club fails to qualify for the UCL next season, Newcastle will have to match any transfer offers from other clubs.
Immediately, Barcelona responded. If they want Guimarães, they are willing to sign him. Coach Xavi Hernandez is also said to be eager to sign Guimarães. He’s one of the players he’s been watching for a long time.
Guimarães joined Newcastle from Olympique Lyonnais in January 2022. In the 2021-22 season, Guimarães had five goals and one assist in 17 league games and four goals and five assists in 32 league games in 2022-23. This season, he has one goal and one assist in 15 league games and one in six UCL games.
Howe has made it clear that Guimarães is one of the keys to his tactics and that he will 토토 never be sold, but the UCL exit has changed that. Barcelona are reportedly planning to sell striker Robert Lewandowski, who has struggled somewhat this season, to fund a move for Guimarães.
Of course, Newcastle have reportedly set a buyout clause of £100 million for Guimarães. It’s a gamble that would require Barcelona to sell several players, including Lewandowski, in order to acquire Guimarães. Newcastle will need to convince Guimarães to stay and calm his anger.
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