Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe dismisses Bruno Guimaraes transfer speculation
20 Mar 2026

Newcastle United's head coach, Eddie Howe, has dismissed transfer rumors linking midfielder Bruno Guimaraes to Manchester United and Real Madrid.

He called the speculation "nonsense" and "totally disrespectful" to Newcastle's captain.

The reports were fueled by Newcastle's recent exit from the Champions League after losing to Barcelona, raising concerns about their top players potentially leaving the club.

Guimaraes is our captain, says Howe
Coach's response

Howe defended Guimaraes, who has been out since February with a hamstring injury.

"Bruno's our captain. He's fully committed. He's injured at the moment. His only focus is coming back to fitness," Howe said on Friday at a press conference.

The Newcastle manager also addressed the possibility of other players seeking moves away from the club due to their current ninth-place standing in the Premier League and potential Champions League absence next season.

Howe addresses potential player exits
Transfer concerns

Despite the transfer rumors, Howe isn't overly concerned about them distracting his players.

"You don't want the players distracted, but I don't know how much they will absorb that," he said.

He also clarified that Guimaraes is fully committed to Newcastle and isn't in talks with any other club.

"To say our captain is in discussions with another club is totally disrespectful to Bruno more than anything else, he is totally committed here," he added.

Updates on Guimaraes's recovery and Tonali's injury
Player fitness

Howe provided updates on Guimaraes's return to fitness after the international break, but was less certain about Sandro Tonali's availability for the upcoming Tyne-Wear derby against Sunderland.

Tonali was substituted in the 56th minute of a recent match due to a "groin or hip problem." Howe said he was a "doubt" for Sunday's game but hoped it wasn't as bad as initially feared.

Barcelona tame Newcastle United in Champions League
UCL

Barcelona cruised into the UEFA Champions League 2025-26 season quarter-finals after a resounding 7-2 victory over Newcastle United.

The win came in the second leg of their Round of 16 tie, with Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski each scoring twice at Camp Nou.

The first leg had ended in a 1-1 draw, but Barcelona's dominant performance in the return match secured their place in the next round.