Eddie Howe was right, I was wrong: Bruno Guimaraes IS worth £100million, writes CRAIG HOPE – and this is why Newcastle can’t cope without their talismanic captain

It was amid talk of Bruno Guimaraes and £100million moves to Real Madrid a few summers ago that I suggested, during a casual conversation with Eddie Howe, that any deal of that value would constitute remarkable business. He disagreed.

To the Newcastle boss, Guimaraes was invaluable. Why? Howe saw in him unique qualities that few players possess. Because they are unquantifiable, it was hard to define. I was left unconvinced.

Today, there is no doubt whatsoever that Howe was right. You cannot put a price on a captain whose force of personality led Newcastle to a first domestic trophy in 70 years. 

Guimaraes was not the skipper when that chat took place, but Howe always knew that the armband would motivate his Brazilian still further. It was like striking a match in the fuel depot.

In his first season as captain, Newcastle won the Carabao Cup and finished fifth in the Premier League to qualify for the Champions League. Guimaraes was the only player to appear in all 38 matches. His availability is one of his greatest strengths. His absence, one of the team’s most debilitating weaknesses.

This statistic has gained much traction in the past week – and Howe’s smile masked trepidation when reminded of it – but in four years, Newcastle have won none of the nine Premier League matches in which the midfielder has not featured. 

Compare that to a 53.1 per cent win ratio across 145 games with him. It has left Howe sweating on his recovery from an ankle injury in time for Wednesday’s Champions League trip to Paris Saint-Germain, where only the winner is guaranteed a top-eight finish. Guimaraes is here in the French capital and will have a fitness test on Tuesday evening.

So, what is it that makes Guimaraes so influential? It’s not his speed. He can look slow, at times. Heavy, even. It’s not his superior technique. A futsal upbringing means he often appears to shovel the ball rather than caress it. It’s not his trickery. There is skill, of course, but not a drop of the shoulder, weave between three men sort of wizardry. It’s not aerial prowess, either.

Some of his qualities show up in the numbers. Eight goals this season, invariably when his team needs them most. A league-high 263 miles covered last season. Likewise his 243 duels won. 

But there is no way of capturing what makes Guimaraes truly unique, to borrow Howe’s description of him. Over the years, the head coach and his staff have reached for the same words – spirit, personality, desire, responsibility, magic.

It is the last of those that best encapsulates his power. The fact you cannot bottle what Guimaraes has is what led Howe to question the wisdom of Newcastle ever selling him, at any price. 

It is also why – in an illogical sense – even though there was a release clause of £100m in June of 2024, no club did meet the buyout. Because, until you experience Guimaraes every week, you do not fully appreciate him. Howe is exposed to him every day. Of all his players, and he is fond of the majority, the 28-year-old is perhaps his favourite, not that he would ever admit it.

It was during the Carabao Cup victory parade in March that the magnetism he exerts on the pitch was evident off it. 

It was as if a congregation of 250,000 were worshipping at his feet as he showcased the trophy to men, women, boys, girls, babies and dogs from an open-top bus through the city centre. He should have worn a clerical collar. 

Then, on the Town Moor stage, he became the master of ceremonies, relegating Ant and Dec to B-listers. It was cold and windy, but Guimaraes made it feel like Rio Carnival. He revealed to the crowd: ’I told my team-mates before the final… “We go out there as players, we come back in as f****** legends!”.’

A legend he is, arguably the club’s greatest captain. In the rich tapestry of Newcastle United, £100m does not get close to his true worth.