Newcastle United have made an approach to sign Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba as they look to replace Bruno Guimaraes, who was sold to Arsenal for £75m. The Magpies are considering several options for new head coach Matthias Jaissle, with Baleba emerging as a key target after being linked with Manchester United last summer.
Guimaraes departure and midfield search
Newcastle were reluctant to lose Brazil international Guimaraes, who had become a fans' favourite at St James' Park over the past four seasons. However, Arsenal's strong push for the 28-year-old and Guimaraes' desire to leave forced the club to accept the £75m fee. The Magpies have already brought in two young midfielders, 20-year-old Aladji Bamba and 18-year-old Sean Steur, but neither is seen as a direct replacement for Guimaraes.
Jaissle, who replaced Eddie Howe as head coach, wants a more experienced midfielder to arrive. Newcastle recently expressed interest in former Tottenham captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, but BBC Sport report that Hojbjerg is 'only one of a handful of options Newcastle are considering'. The Daily Mail adds that Newcastle have now made an approach for Baleba, who is said to be an 'admirer' of the Brighton player.
Baleba's background and Manchester United interest
Baleba was close to joining Manchester United around this time last year but stayed on the south coast. United were widely tipped to revive their interest this summer but instead signed Andrey Santos from Chelsea and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa. Michael Carrick remains open to signing a third midfielder, but the £35m deal for Tielemans is already being hailed as the best buy of the summer.
Former Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt praised the Tielemans signing on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, sponsored by Midnite. 'I think Youri Tielemans is the best signing of the transfer window,' Butt said. 'Looking at his fee, his age, his experience – he's played in the Champions League and World Cups and he's a great footballer. I think that's a brilliant signing for Manchester United.'
Butt's verdict on Tielemans and Newcastle's opening fixture
Asked who he rates as the best signing of the summer transfer window, Butt added: 'I think it's Youri Tielemans. If he was up at £70m or £80m I would give you a different answer but you need to look at the value for money. If Manchester United get the right players around him I think he will be the best summer signing.'
Jaissle's first Premier League game in charge of Newcastle will be a tricky clash against Liverpool on the opening weekend of the season. The club's search for a Guimaraes replacement continues, with Baleba now a concrete target.
