Bruno Guimaraes' Newcastle United future suddenly a hot topic of debate as summer transfer rumours pick up speed
You can tell we're getting to the business end of the season now as the transfer rumours are starting to gather pace, which means we Newcastle United fans need to brace ourselves for stories linking our top players with moves elsewhere.
As we all know by now, if Newcastle United have any players that could ever be considered 'world-class', then we must roll over and allow one of the 'Big Six' to help themselves (well, Big Five now, isn't it, because surely we're not counting Tottenham anymore).
There was absolute hell on last year when we didn't just let Alexander Isak move to Liverpool. We were pure evil for trying to negotiate an acceptable price and for trying to convince him to stay when Liverpool wanted him so much.
Thankfully, Liverpool got their way in the end, and order was restored.
A story like this can start as a snowball and turn into an avalanche - let's not let it
This year, it looks like Bruno Guimaraes is back on the menu as there have been several reports this morning suggesting Manchester United want our Brazilian midfielder to replace Casemiro.
The story seems to have originated from Caught Offside (so, you know the drill, get the salt out), but of course, Manchester United news aggregators have picked up on it and will now be reporting on it being a thing that's going to happen (this is fine, this is how we earn our crust as aggregators).
But this is how it all starts. A suggestion that some agents have been talking grows to become 'internet fact' and then the mainstream media sees the trending story and adds its weight behind it, and then, like a dog with a bone, that's all they write about until they will it into existence.
Let's take a breath and calm down - this is Bruno "NUFC" Guimaraes we're talking about
At this point last year, we were adamant that Alexander Isak was going nowhere, so we're not going to be as naive as to say that Bruno Guimaraes will definitely be a Newcastle United player next season.
However, we can say with way more confidence that we expect he will be. Bruno is head over heels in love with Newcastle United, and even if he does leave us this summer, we can't see it being for another Premier League club. Spain would be his likely next destination.
So we're just trying to get out ahead of this one before it becomes a big story - it started on Caught Offside. Let's not panic.
