Newcastle will be without Nick Pope for Sunday’s EFL Cup final against Manchester United but, while the football gods taketh away, they also giveth back.
The disappointment at Pope’s suspension will be offset by Bruno Guimaraes’ well-timed return to contention; the Brazil international serving his three-match ban in the Premier League following that semi-final red card against Southampton.
It would be an exaggeration to suggest that Newcastle look lost without their playmaking kingpin. But it’s no coincidence that the worst runs of 2022/23 have come during Guimaraes’ absence. Newcastle dropped points against struggling West Ham and Bournemouth this month, before suffering only their second defeat of the league campaign at home to Liverpool on Saturday.
The difference in Newcastle’s points-per-game average with and without the former Lyon ace is stark; 2.17 with, and 0.5 without. Having Guimaraes back in time for Wembley could, presuming Loris Karius can avoid a repeat of that Champions League final nightmare, be the difference between tears of joy and tears of pain at the national stadium.
“He’s been really disappointed to miss the last few games and has felt very frustrated not to help the team,” Eddie Howe tells the Northern Echo. “But he’s back and in a good place.”
Newcastle United need cover for Bruno Guimaraes
Joe Willock, Sean Longstaff and Joelinton have all come on leaps and bounds under Howe. Remarkably so. But what the trio possess in terms of energy and tenacity, they lack in technique and vision. Simply put, Guimaraes – along with Pope perhaps – is the one player at St James’ Park you could conceivably call ‘irreplaceable’.
Well, for now, at least.
Per Sport1, Newcastle admire Borussia Dortmund’s Germany international Mohamed Dahoud. The Syria-born schemer was even on the club’s radar before that Saudi Arabian takeover in late-2021.
Now, with Dortmund confirming that the former Borussia Monchengladbach ace will leave for free when his contract expires in July, Newcastle might just have been offered a golden opportunity to bring in some much-needed cover and competition for their most influential outfield player while saving funds for reinforcements in other areas.
‘We will not renew his contract’
“I had a very open and honest conversation with Mo last week. I informed him that we will not renew his contract in the summer,” sporting director Sebastian Kehl tells Ruhr Nachrichten.
“Mo has been with us for six years now. He’s a very good footballer, and I really have a very high opinion of him on a sporting and personal level. Nevertheless, we decided to take this step.”
Dahoud, who should be approaching his peak at the age of 27, looks like a midfielder tailor-made for Eddie Howe. As former Dortmund boss Marco Rose explains; “He’s a great footballer with high individual quality, and the willingness to work for the team and run a lot. Mo is a lot of fun to work with. Plus, he’s a really good guy.”
There are not many midfielders out there with the finesse and the work-rate of Guimaraes. Dahoud, however, is certainly one of the few. And, while some Newcastle fans may be concerned by the fact his development has plateaued at Dortmund, Howe’s ability to coax career-best performances out of Fabian Schar, Joelinton, Willock, Longstaff, Dan Burn and co should raise hopes that a similar imprint can be made on Dahoud’s career.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
