Liverpool May abandon dream transfer as ‘Barcelona clause’ makes star £40m cheaper

Liverpool have started the Premier League season quite well.

Liverpool may abandon their dream move for Bruno Guimaraes as the Newcastle star has reportedly included a clause in his new contract that will allow Barcelona to sign him for £40m less than any other team.

Guimaraes joined the Magpies from Lyon at the start of last year and has become one of his team’s most influential players.

Liverpool reportedly rejected a bid for Guimaraes on transfer deadline day in the summer when Jurgen Klopp tried to bring him to Anfield.
And since then the 25-year-old has put pen to paper on a new contract in the North East until 2028.
That contract would contain a £100m release clause.

But according to Spanish publication Sport, Barcelona will be able to land Guimaraes if they make an offer of just £60m.
And that clause could deprive Liverpool of the prospect of signing the ace as they may feel they are getting a bad deal from the mega-rich Magpies.

The midfielder, who scored 11 goals and eight assists in 68 appearances for Newcastle, has made several moves to Barcelona in the past after previously being linked with the club.
But the Catalan giants’ current financial problems mean the player is unlikely to move to the Camp Nou any time soon.
Liverpool have strengthened their midfield this summer by signing Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo.
And the Reds are doing well without Guimaraes as they have climbed to fourth place in the Premier League after losing just one of their opening eight games.

“I’m absolutely happy,” Guimaraes said after committing his long-term future to the Magpies.
“The fans have made me feel at home since my first day here and I feel so loved in my life.

“I’m so happy here.
It’s a very comfortable place to be and I hope I can continue to make the fans happy and help the team do well.
This is my goal because there are no words to describe how happy I am to be here.

“I remember saying in my first interview that I wanted to play for this club in the Champions League, and now it’s happening.
We’re doing so well and when I look at my teammates from the other side of the pitch I’m so proud of them, all of them I’m proud of everyone: the team, the staff, the owners and the fans.
“The city still believes in it and it’s incredible what we’ve done for the team.
I hope this can continue.
It’s amazing what has happened in my life in the last two years.”

Guimaraes has started all eight of Newcastle’s Premier League matches this season, winning four. And he played a starring role in the Champions League, when the Magpies drew 0-0 against AC Milan in Italy before beating Paris Saint-Germain 4-1 at St James’ Park.

More news…….

Midfielder still a target for Liverpool in the summer transfer window.

Manu Kone, a midfielder for Borussia Monchengladbach, was initially reportedly a target for Liverpool during the summer and the Reds are reportedly still interested in him.

As Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Naby Keita, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all left Anfield, the Reds ultimately moved for different targets on that occasion, bringing in four new players in the form of Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, and Wataru Endo.

Bayern Munich are reportedly interested in Kone, while Liverpool’s interest in the player also appears to be ongoing, according to Daily Briefing columnist Christian Falk, who posted from his account on X.

Falk asserts that Kone is still under the Merseyside giants’ radar in the passage below.

It will be interesting to see whether Liverpool keeps making the rebuilding of their midfield a priority, or if they decide to turn their attention to other areas of their roster next.

Since players like Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah aren’t getting any younger, they’ll soon need to be replaced with more long-term options.

However, Kone is a great talent and one that other major clubs will probably be vying for as well, so it is definitely worth keeping an eye on