OL may be vegetating in the middle of the table (11th), nine points from their crucial Champions League goal, they have chosen to part with their best player, Bruno Guimaraes. The transfer of the 24-year-old Brazilian international midfielder to Newcastle has just been formalized this Sunday by the Lyon club, for a total amount of 42.1 million euros, plus 8 million euros in bonuses depending in particular on the maintenance of the Magpies at the end of this season. A sum certainly very decent, even if OL must pay €8.42 million (and up to €10 million if all the bonuses are reached) to Athletico Paranaense, Bruno G.’s previous club in Brazil, which had negotiated 20% in the event of resale.
Thank you for your class, your kindness and your professionalism @brunoog97.
We wish you a very good continuation with @NUFC and with the Brazilian selection!
OL won’t forget you!❤💙 pic.twitter.com/32XnCLR9LK— Olympique Lyonnais (@OL) January 30, 2022
Two years after his arrival for 20 M€ in Lyon, it is even the fourth biggest transfer in the history of the club, behind Tanguy Ndombele (60 M€ + 10 M€ bonus at Tottenham), Alexandre Lacazette (53 M€ + 7 M€ bonus to Arsenal) and Ferland Mendy (48 M€ + 5 M€ to Real Madrid). But the sporting loss promises to be colossal, as Bruno Guimaraes had an extremely regular metronome role, at the heart of a difficult season for OL.
The departure of Juninho, “a real father” for Bruno G.
Dazzling for his debut in the Champions League against Juventus (1-0) in February 2020, he had gradually been used less by Rudi Garcia in 2020-2021, and hampered by discomfort in the knee. But this season with Peter Bosz, he confirms all the potential that Juninho predicted for him, when he insisted on bringing him to Lyon.
Even the departure last month of the Brazilian sporting director, “a real father” for Bruno Guimaraes, did not affect the level of his performance. We will not say the same about his compatriot Lucas Paqueta, far from his level in the fall, and certainly marked by the departure of his friend. If he does not excel at the level of the most visible stats (3 goals and 8 assists in 71 games with OL), Bruno G. is this season the player who has managed the most passes in the last 30 meters in Ligue 1, and the second with the most fouls, as
reveals it Opta.
Towards a lose-lose deal?
Rare satisfaction during the worrying derby last week, the recent Olympic champion is also one of the only players in the squad very popular with Lyon supporters. In addition to his technique, his activity and his combativeness, they appreciated the astonishing mastery of French by Bruno Guimaraes, after only a few weeks in Lyon, as well as his many declarations of love for the club. But just like OL, he gave in to the tempting offer of the new rich in English football Newcastle (bought in October by a Saudi fund), with a quadruple salary at stake.
Looking good, @brunoog97! 🤩🤙
⚫️⚪️ pic.twitter.com/blB8CXdrpm
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) January 30, 2022
And a sporting situation even worse than at OL in the short term, without a knockout round of the Europa League to play and with a stay in the Premier League (the Magpies are 18th with 2 successes in 21 days) to tear off. Wouldn’t that feel like a lose-lose deal for OL and for Bruno Guimaraes, this story? The club has in any case less than two days to try to compensate for this departure, undoubtedly with the Brest attacking midfielder Romain Faivre, who arrived this Sunday in Lyon, and above all a return of Tanguy Ndombele on loan.