When Guimaraes signed, with the team battling relegation, the club laid out an ambitious plan.
Newcastle’s leadership said their target wasn’t just Champions League qualification — it was ultimately to win the competition.
They’ve since reached the Champions League twice, but remain some distance from taking that final leap.
It was telling that Isak still pushed for a move to Liverpool even after Newcastle secured a 2025 Champions League berth.
Liverpool’s superior revenues allowed them to offer a major pay rise, and the Swede also wanted to compete for the game’s biggest trophies.
After a bruising season that saw Newcastle finish 12th, Guimaraes may now face a similar career crossroads.
Arsenal have not contacted Newcastle — who don’t want to sell — but if they do, might Guimaraes view it as a last real chance to win the Premier League or the Champions League?
As adored as he is on Tyneside, does the 28-year-old have the patience to front a new era with a youthful squad that will need time to mature?
Newcastle had previously kept hold of key players, but the group that ended a 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy in 2025 has been broken up.
Of the 26 players pictured celebrating after the EFL Cup final win over Liverpool, 11 have since left.
Some turnover was overdue, yet the balance is delicate.
Eddie Howe cautioned late last season that the squad must not be weakened.
The current group has obvious gaps, though Newcastle are understood to be progressing a deal for Freiburg’s exciting midfielder Johan Manzambi.
They have also completed the signings of winger Bazoumana Toure, midfielder Sean Steur and goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen.
Targeting younger talent from European clubs is a strategy others have used effectively.
Bournemouth, who finished sixth last season, showed how smart recruitment and strong coaching can offset major departures.
But experience matters too, and Guimaraes is invaluable to Newcastle on that front. Losing him would cast doubt over the entire project.