Barcelona are reportedly not in pole position to sign Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes in the future.
The Brazil international is closing in on two years at St James' Park after making the switch from Lyon in January 2022.
Guimaraes has proven to be one of Newcastle's best overseas signings in their history with 11 goals and eight assists coming from 68 appearances in all competitions.
Despite speculation regarding widespread interest from elsewhere, the 25-year-old recently penned a new long-term contract with the Magpies.
That deal ties him to the North East outfit until 2028, but there have been claims that Barcelona may have an advantage to sign the player at a later date.
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Reports have suggested that the Catalan giants have the option of signing Guimaraes for a fee in the region of £60m if they can afford to over the coming years.
Guimaraes is said to want the opportunity to represent Barcelona at some stage in his career, even if he is in no particular rush to do so.
Nevertheless, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, there is no such clause in his new contract, leaving Barcelona on a level playing field with potential rivals.
Romano adds that the only release clause present in Guimaraes's contract is one that would allow him to depart for £100m.
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Despite his impact and development on Tyneside, there is no indication that any club have plans to activate that buy-out option in the foreseeable future.
From Barcelona's perspective, they cannot be considered as a realistic option for Guimaraes due to their significant financial issues.
With La Liga having recently reduced their wage limits, club officials will be pressed to reduce their outgoings through the renegotiation of player contracts or at least one notable sale to adhere to those conditions.
In the summer, Barcelona were largely restricted to free transfers and loan agreements, the only deal featuring a fee being the one that was agreed for Oriol Romeu.
Darren Plant
