A £51.5m agreement has been reached between Newcastle and Freiburg, paving the way for the adaptable Swiss midfielder Johan Manzambi to leave the Bundesliga and join the Premier League.
The 20-year-old, who has impressed during the ongoing summer World Cup, is set to put pen to paper on a lengthy deal at St James’ Park, but the move cannot be completed as long as Switzerland remain in the tournament. Widely chased this transfer window, Manzambi is managing a slight knee problem, and head coach Murat Yakin is uncertain whether he will regain fitness in time for Sunday’s quarter-final against Argentina.
Newcastle, for their part, continue to stress they have no desire to sell Bruno Guimarães to Arsenal, though they recognise the Brazil midfielder has grown unsettled on Tyneside after Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon left for Tottenham and Barcelona respectively.
Offering a fresh contract could shift that story, but should Arsenal — yet to table an official bid for Guimarães — come in with an offer in the region of £75m, Newcastle would face a tough call. Much hinges on how forcefully the 28-year-old, who could roughly double his earnings in north London, pushes for an exit.
Newcastle have also wrapped up the £23m capture of 18-year-old midfielder Sean Steur from Ajax on a five-year contract. Steur has been widely touted as the Amsterdam side’s most exciting midfield prospect since Frenkie de Jong.
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