Guimaraes agent's cryptic message after Arsenal '£70m bid' for Newcastle star

This comes after talk from the capital that the Gunners are readying a £70million bid. However, well-placed sources on Tyneside say that Arsenal's chances of getting Bruno for close to £70m are a 'non-starter'.

Speculation has intensified, however, with the Magpies signing Aladji Bamba from Monaco, but it is not thought that he is a replacement for Guimaraes. ChronicleLive previously reported that the midfielder nor his agency have put in an official transfer request and he remains under contract for at least two more years at St James' Park.

Get Chronicle Premium now for just £1 HERE – exclusive news and features, our NUFC and Academy notebooks, John Gibson's columns plus an ad-lite experience

On Thursday, Guimaraes' agent, Malavolta, posted an intriguing update on social media.

The image, shared via his Instagram story, showed him standing at the front of a boat, looking out over a bright blue sea in an undisclosed location.

With his right arm raised to his head, possibly on the phone, the only caption on the photo read: "Always working."

The post surfaced just a couple of hours before reports of a £70m offer for Guimaraes began to emerge. It's impossible to say whether the message was related to the midfielder, but the timing is certainly noteworthy.

Guimaraes remains a key target for Premier League champions Arsenal, but as reported by ChronicleLive, Newcastle have yet to receive any official contact from the Gunners.

While the Magpies' stance remains unchanged, the situation would then change if he were to submit a transfer request, Newcastle would adopt a hard‑line stance and hold out for a fee closer to £100million. This is far above the figures circulating from Arsenal's side, which have been as low as £45m to £60m.

Newcastle will be keen to avoid a repeat of last summer's stand‑off, when Alexander Isak refused to return to pre‑season after the opening week in Austria. The Swede declined to travel to Singapore and South Korea for the club’s Far East tour and ended up training alone in Spain.

He never rejoined the main group after that and ultimately forced through his £125m move to Liverpool.

As for Guimaraes, the internal expectation is that the 28‑year‑old will report back in the first week of August, with Eddie Howe keen to get him fully focused on the 2026/27 campaign.