Arsenal braced for Bruno Guimaraes twist as new Newcastle boss plans decisive talks

Bruno Guimaraes looked set to become Arsenal's big statement signing this summer, yet a sudden shift in Newcastle's dugout has thrown the move into fresh doubt. The Newcastle captain is believed to be in advanced talks with the Gunners, with personal terms agreed and reports claiming a €90m deal was reached with the club on Friday after weeks of speculation. Even so, sources on Tyneside maintain that no formal offer has been submitted, and Guimaraes is expected to report to Newcastle's training camp in La Masia on Sunday after returning from holiday. The picture changed again this week when Eddie Howe resigned. Newcastle had been aware of the 48-year-old's decision for several weeks and have Matthias Jaissle ready to replace him. Jaissle is expected to be confirmed in the coming hours, and The Chronicle reports that he wants face-to-face talks with Guimaraes as soon as the player arrives. Those discussions are set to take place before Guimaraes rejoins training on Monday. Newcastle have insisted they do not want to lose their star midfielder, especially for a rumoured €90m fee that would also trigger a sell-on payment to Lyon. They believe Arsenal's interest has been pursued through third parties, and consider the noise around the transfer an attempt to unsettle the player and push through a sale. Guimaraes has asked to be allowed to join Arsenal, and everyone involved wants the situation resolved before the new season. He is not, however, expected to force an exit by refusing to work. He is contractually due back on Monday, which is why he travelled to Spain directly from Brazil rather than with the rest of the squad, who left Tyneside on Friday.