Bruno Guimarães' Newcastle Return Delayed Amid Arsenal Interest

Bruno Guimarães’ Newcastle return has been delayed for a second time, sharpening the focus on Arsenal’s push to prise the Brazilian away from Tyneside.

The midfielder was due to report back to Newcastle’s pre-season camp on Sunday night, having already missed an earlier target of Friday. Club sources insist there is no panic and that Guimarães is now expected to link up with the squad later today, but the uncertainty around his schedule mirrors the uncertainty around his future.

This is not how Newcastle planned it.

Eddie Howe, before his departure as head coach, had publicly set Friday as Guimarães’ return date after the midweek pre-season defeat to Bristol City. “I see no reason why that wouldn’t be the case,” he said when asked about the Brazilian’s comeback. Harvey Barnes followed up with the same line, telling Chronicle Live: “He is back in on Friday, so it will be good to see him… You want to keep your best players, of course, you do. He's a big part of what we've got going on here.”

Friday came and went. Guimarães did not.

The delay has landed at a delicate moment for Newcastle. Matthias Jaissle is expected to come in as the new head coach, and if Guimarães does arrive today, one of his first major conversations is likely to be with a player whose heart may be drifting towards North London.

Arsenal have been circling for weeks. Talks with intermediaries, understood to have taken place in recent days, have focused on one central problem: the fee. The number doing the rounds is about £80 million, with add-ons likely to be crucial in bridging the gap between what Newcastle want and what Arsenal are prepared to structure.

While Newcastle wait, Arsenal move on with their preparations.

Mikel Arteta’s squad head to Dublin this week for their second official pre-season friendly of the summer, fresh from a win over Girona in which new signing Christos Tzolis scored on debut. Gabriel and Gabriel Martinelli are back in the fold and expected to feature after returning to training last week, giving the Gunners’ Brazilian core a familiar look.

Guimarães, by contrast, finds his own pre-season rhythm broken. Every missed date, every revised return, feeds the sense that his next competitive minutes might not be in black and white.

If Arsenal can finally break the deadlock and close a deal in the coming days, the earliest realistic sighting of Guimarães in red and white would be Sunday’s friendly at the Emirates against Borussia Dortmund. That scenario still feels ambitious. Medicals, contracts, final negotiations over add-ons – a lot has to fall into place at speed.

For now, Newcastle wait for their captain to walk through the door, while Arsenal wait for the phone call that says the door might be closing on Tyneside for good.