Newcastle United are set to seal the signing of Lyon midfielder Bruno Guimaraes with the Brazilian set to undergo a medical, according to reports.
The Brazilian – who helped his country win Olympic gold in the summer – has started 20 Ligue 1 games for Lyon this term at the base of midfield.
Arsenal have been tracking the 24-year-old for a number of years and sent scouts to watch him playing for his previous club, Brazilian side Athletico Paranaense.
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However, a recent report indicated that fellow Premier League clubs Newcastle and Everton also had an interest in the Lyon man.
And following claims yesterday that Newcastle had submitted a formal €40m bid to Lyon for the Brazil international, The Athletic have some further good news for Magpies fans.
The Athletic say that Guimaraes is ‘scheduled to undergo a medical in Brazil ahead of his proposed transfer to Newcastle’ after having a bid accepted.
The bid from Newcastle ‘was in the region of the price they believed Lyon wanted for Guimaraes’ after ‘a transfer meeting was held on Monday to determine their recruitment strategy for the final week of the window’.
Eddie Howe has been ‘keen to add greater dynamism into the middle of the pitch’ with Brighton’s Yves Bissouma, Paris Saint-Germain’s Georginio Wijnaldum and Leicester City’s Hamza Choudhury all linked.
But The Athletic add that Guimaraes ‘has been identified as an ideal player to link Newcastle’s defence and attack, given his technical quality and also physical attributes’.
Following their 1-0 victory over Leeds United at the weekend, Howe hinted that further signings could be key as they battle for survival in the Premier League.
“I’ve always said from day one I back the players we have, regardless of who we recruit,” said Howe, whose squad have headed to Saudi Arabia for a mid-season training camp.
“But I think today you saw the power of recruitment. Looking at Chris Wood and Kieran Trippier, I thought they were magnificent for the team.
“They made huge contributions to the match and that’s the power. If you can get it right I think you can elevate the team and help the team to greater heights.
“We’re still looking to do that, but I do back the players that we have here already.”
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