PSV Eindhoven director John de Jong is thrilled to retain the services of Ibrahim Sangare after Newcastle United tried to bring the midfielder to the Premier League, speaking to PSV TV.
Newcastle might not have got everything they asked for but, with the benefit of hindsight, the January transfer window can probably be labelled to be a resounding success.
Not quite an A*. But a pass with flying colours.
In Chris Wood, the newly-minted Magpies have a proven top-flight goalscorer, one who’s arrival both eases the burden on the injury-prone Callum Wilson and hobbles one of their main relegation rivals.
Dan Burn, meanwhile, ended Newcastle’s four-year wait for a new central defender. Kieran Trippier and Matt Targett are major upgrades on Emil Krafth and Matt Ritchie.
And, in Bruno Guimaraes, Eddie Howe now has one of Europe’s most exciting, most all-action defensive midfielders at his disposal. In fact, describing the £33 million as a defensive midfielder feels akin to suggesting that Freddie Mercury could hold a decent tune.
It does him a real disservice.
Guimaraes, according to one source, is a ‘number six-plus’ (The Athletic). The implication being that the former Lyon ace is more than your run-of-the-mill, ten-a-penny enforcer. He’s a ball-player as well as a ball-winner, someone who can snatch back possession one second and then bisect an opposition backline the next.
Is Bruno Guimaraes Newcastle’s best January signing?
Guimaraes wasn’t the only midfielder on Newcastle’s radar though. According to The Mail, the Magpies also looked at PSV’s Ivory Coast international Ibrahima Sangare as well.
“Ibrahim did well there (at the African Cup of Nations) and there was some interest in him,” explains PSV director De Jong.
“I’ve been in contact with his agent, who was informed a lot, especially from the Premier League. I’ve been approached a lot by people about a transfer, so you can see that he is in demand.
“He has been very much followed by Premier League clubs, so I’m glad we kept him.”
While undeniably talented, Sangare is not quite on the same level as Guimaraes.
This, perhaps more so than any of Newcastle’s other January arrivals, feels like a transformative signing. Not only a marquee, statement addition but one capable of elevating Eddie Howe’s side to a whole new level.
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