Eddie Howe confirms £100m release clause for "integral" Newcastle United star

Guimaraes joined the Magpies from Lyon in January 2022 for a reported £40m and has since established himself as a star players at St James' Park, contributing with 14 goals and 14 assists in 102 appearances across all competitions.

No Newcastle player has played more matches (45) or played more minutes (3,909) than Guimaraes so far this season, with the 26-year-old chipping in with four goals and eight assists during this period as a deep-lying midfielder.

Guimaraes's performances are understood to have caught the eye of a number of top European clubs, with Premier League trio Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United reportedly among those that have expressed an interest.

Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and Real Madrid have also been linked with the Brazil international, who is under contract at St James' Park until June 2028.

Guimaraes available for limited time at £100m

Recent reports have claimed that Guimaraes has a £100m release clause in his Newcastle contract that will be valid for a limited period between the last week of May and the last week of June.

Howe has since confirmed those reports, and although he is determined to keep hold of Guimaraes and build his team around the "integral" midfielder, the Magpies boss has admitted that the club "aren't in control" of the Brazilian's future.

Responding to reports about Guimaraes's contract situation at a press conference on Friday, Howe said: "I'm aware of his contractual status. Having that was well planned and structured by the club, in a sense there is a finish point.

"We don't want the constant speculation, I don't think that's healthy for the player or for us. It's something we don't have control over so I don't tend to worry about it.

"It goes without saying we want to keep him, I want to build our team around him. He is an integral part of what we're doing. His form has been very good - he seems very happy and settled.

"He'll be thinking about a very busy summer ahead, where hopefully we can take the team with him a big part of it. But we aren't in control of that so let's see."

What does the future hold for in-demand Guimaraes?

Guimaraes is regarded as a fans' favourite at St James' Park and he recently expressed his desire to "stay much longer" at Newcastle.

However, it is understood that the midfielder is 'desperate' to play in the Champions League next season, and it is all but certain that Newcastle will not be able to provide that as they sit 16 points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa with only five Premier League matches remaining.

In order to balance their books and comply with the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules, Newcastle will likely be required to sell at least one of their key players this summer, and Guimaraes is thought to be one of those who could depart amid the interest in his services.

Guimaraes has previously stated that he is planning a long-term stay in the Premier League, but he refused to rule out moving to another club in England.

"I absolutely plan to play here for a long time. I have other goals as well of moving, but this is something more down the line. I'm really happy to be here in the league," the Brazilian told reporters last month.

Guimaraes is not the only Newcastle star who has been linked with an exit, as top scorer Alexander Isak has attracted interest from clubs including Arsenal and Barcelona.