Newcastle Targets Højbjerg to Replace Guimarães
Newcastle United are moving quickly to plug the gap left by Bruno Guimarães, and the solution has a familiar Premier League face. According to Foot Mercato, the club are close to agreeing a deal with Olympique de Marseille for Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, with the transfer expected to be wrapped up this week for around €15 million.
For Newcastle, it is a pragmatic move. Guimarães’ switch to Arsenal has ripped out the heart of Eddie Howe’s midfield, and the club need reliability as much as they need flair. Højbjerg, 31, offers exactly that: experience, discipline, and a body of work that managers trust when the season tightens and margins shrink.
For Marseille, the deal cuts in a different direction. It is as much about the balance sheet as the balance of the team. Operating with limited resources, OM’s hierarchy need sales to stabilise their finances, and a player with Højbjerg’s profile and minutes played is one of their few bankable assets.
He has certainly earned that status. Since arriving on the Canebière two years ago, Højbjerg has been a constant presence. In his first season he started all 32 of his appearances, immediately becoming a cornerstone in the side. The following campaign he went even further: 43 appearances, 40 of them from the start, and eight outings in the Champions League. Coaches leaned on him, and he rarely let them down.
The numbers tell a simple story. When Marseille played, Højbjerg played.
If the agreement is finalised, the Dane will step back into a league he knows well. His previous spells at Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur forged his reputation as a combative, positionally sharp midfielder who relishes the grind of English football. Newcastle are not buying a project. They are buying a plug-and-play operator who understands the tempo, the physicality, and the scrutiny of the Premier League.
For OM, his departure would leave a sizeable hole in the middle of the pitch and a bigger question: how do you replace that level of reliability when every euro counts?
For Newcastle, the question is different. If Højbjerg does walk back through the Premier League door this week, can he anchor a new-look midfield and help them absorb the shock of losing Guimarães without losing momentum in the process?
