Newcastle United are ready to open talks over a new contract with another of their first-team stars after successfully securing the services of Bruno Guimaraes, according to reports.
Is Bruno staying at Newcastle?
Over the summer, Guimaraes attracted huge interest from the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea in the Premier League, alongside Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid in La Liga, but despite this, he remained in the northeast and is set to stay there for much longer.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the Brazil superstar has agreed terms to put pen to paper on a new contract that is set to be signed at some point within the next ten days, but he’s not the only one who is expected to extend his time at St. James’ Park.
Since joining from Hoffenheim back in 2019, Joelinton has clocked up 161 appearances for Eddie Howe’s side and has become an integral member of the squad, though the central midfielder is currently ruled out of action with a knee injury.
When asked for an update on the Brazilian's fitness, the boss confirmed that he is hoping he’ll be able to stage his comeback before the international break in October, but despite him not being able to make an impact on the pitch, there is work going on behind the scenes.
Is Joelinton signing a new contract at Newcastle?
According to 90min, Newcastle are "set to begin talks" with Joelinton over fresh terms having completed the same with Guimaraes. The Magpies have reportedly indicated to their star's camp that they are "ready to engage" in discussions, and the 27-year-old is "very happy" and "ready to commit" himself to his future on Tyneside.
With regards to Bruno, his particular new deal is expected to be officially confirmed by the club in the coming weeks with the finer details in the process of being finalised with the hierarchy.
How many goals does Joelinton have for Newcastle?
Following his arrival, Joelinton has posted 33 contributions (22 goals and 11 assists) in 161 appearances for Newcastle whilst ranking in the 95th percentile for most touches in the opposition’s penalty area, with this form seeing him hailed an “immense” player over the past year by journalist Josh Bunting.
Alongside the action in the final third, Alianca’s native is also a great protector of the backline having won seven out of his eight tackles made this season which is the second-best success rate throughout the whole of Howe's squad, via FBRef.
Furthermore, Howe’s £85k-per-week earner is a versatile operator having been deployed in seven different positions over the pitch since the start of his career, including three roles in the midfield and everywhere across the frontline, which is yet another attractive attribute that he possesses.
Finally, Joelinton was named Newcastle's Player of the Year during the 2021/22 season so he is clearly appreciated by the staff, his fellow teammates and the club's supporters, therefore, him signing on the dotted line would come as a huge boost to everyone in the northeast.
