According to reports from Spain, Liverpool remain interested in a player for whom they lodged a nine-figure transfer offer over the summer.
AS have claimed that, in late August, the Reds submitted an eye-watering £100m bid to Newcastle for Bruno Guimaraes, which was promptly rejected due to the importance the Magpies place on the £120,000-per-week midfielder (Capology).
That mightn’t necessarily deter the Merseysiders from going back in for the 25-year-old again, though, as his name is ‘listed in ‘red’ within Liverpool’s roadmap for the short-medium term’.
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Guimaraes was one of the cornerstones of Newcastle’s highest Premier League finish in 20 years last term, achieving their third-highest WhoScored performance rating as Eddie Howe’s side ended a two-decade wait to bring Champions League football back to St James’ Park.
He’s been described by Geordie football legend Alan Shearer as an ‘absolutely magnificent’ player who ‘never looks flustered’ and ‘never panics’ when in possession (Match of the Day, via Shields Gazette).
That’s an observation backed up by the Brazilian’s match average of 7.49 progressive passes, which places him among the top 11% of midfielders in Europe’s five main leagues over the past year in that regard (FBref).
Liverpool’s £100m bid came at a time when they were still on the lookout for a defensive midfielder, with their search ultimately ending with the deadline day acquisition of Ryan Gravenberch.
The midfield rebuild now appears complete at Anfield after a four-pronged summer transfer assault, with the defence set to be the priority for Jurgen Klopp and Jorg Schmadtke in the January window as things stand.
While Guimaraes is a fine player who’s taken successfully to Premier League football, we currently don’t see the Reds going all-out to try and get him in the winter, unless the picture drastically changes between now and then and the need for a new midfielder amplifies once more.
#Ep89 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones🎙️