Earlier this week we reported that Newcastle's slide under Eddie Howe was impossible to ignore. The next step is even clearer: Newcastle's summer rebuild now turns on whether Bruno Guimarães stays or goes. Eddie Howe's departure came on Thursday morning, with the season kicking off in just three weeks, and Matthias Jaissle is expected to take over. Jaissle is 38, has been in charge of Al-Ahli since 2023, and is described as a two-time AFC Champions League winner.

Jaissle's first decision

Football365 put the issue bluntly: "The new manager should speak to Bruno the moment he walks through the door." That feels about right. Newcastle cannot settle the rest of their summer until they know whether their captain is part of the plan, because the whole rebuild shifts depending on that answer.

Guimaraes has not gone quiet at international level while the club noise builds around him. He has 5 appearances in the 2026 World Cup sample, 4 assists, and a 7.11 average rating across those games. He has also played 431 minutes, which is enough to show he is still being trusted and still producing. That is the player Newcastle are trying to pin down before the market moves any further.

Arsenal links and Newcastle's denial

The Arsenal story is not settled. Chronicle Live reported that Newcastle United sources still deny talks between the two clubs, while saying Guimaraes is still due to link up with the squad next week. That sits alongside the claim that Arsenal sources believe he is close to a move, so the picture is a dispute, not a done deal.

Arsenal's appeal is obvious enough. They finished first in the 2025 Premier League season on 85 points, and they went perfect in their Champions League league-stage sample, winning all 8 matches and conceding only 4. If Guimaraes is being asked to weigh up a move, that is the level of club he would be looking at.

Newcastle's own situation is less tidy. They finished 12th on 49 points with a -2 goal difference, numbers that leave little room for a long slow reset. Jaissle inherits a squad that already needs direction, and the first call is whether the rebuild is built around Guimaraes or starts by replacing him.

Chronicle Live's line, "Despite the reports of an agreement, Newcastle United sources still deny talks between the two clubs," is the useful one here. Until that changes, Guimaraes remains the player who defines the summer rather than the deal that closes it.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →