Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes: Newcastle duo face uncertain futures amid building transfer speculation
With both Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes facing uncertain futures at Newcastle following their Champions League exit, how likely are we to see departures this summer? Sky Sports News' Keith Downie assess their current situation at St James' Park
Thursday 19 March 2026 18:58, UK
It's going to be more of a challenge to hold on to Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes this summer, and Newcastle will be aware of this.
Both players deserve to be playing on Europe's biggest stage, and time will tell whether Newcastle can satisfy their ambitions beyond the summer.
They are the heartbeat of the Newcastle midfield, and a huge part of the club's success in recent years. Of the two, if feels as though Bruno is the more likely to stay for a prolonged period: he's a bit older, he's the club captain and Newcastle United has got under his skin.
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We all saw the tears at Wembley last March; leaving St James' Park would be a wrench to the emotional Brazilian. He's almost become part of the furniture at Newcastle, and he would be a huge loss both on and off the pitch.
There is an emotional pull there for Bruno, and while he may have once considered Newcastle as a stepping stone when he arrived, I'm not so sure he would feel that way now. The departure of a 28-year-old would be a bigger surprise to those of a Newcastle persuasion.
For Tonali, the comments from his agent earlier this week were interesting. Giuseppe Riso stated that Newcastle were in fact, a stepping stone and he deserved to be playing Champions League football every season.
If speculation is to be believed, clubs are queuing up to sign the Italian and Newcastle may have a big decision to make on him this summer.
He's a proper player and has proved he can cut it in English football. Newcastle, by their own admission, need to get better at selling players, and finding the right moment to do so with Tonali will be key.
It feels as though his value is peaking right now around £100m, but with effectively four more years on his contract, the Tyneside club hold the cards.
In an interview I did with Tonali in November, he suggested he wanted to wait until the summer to consider his situation, and while that may not be the most promising of sounds for Newcastle fans, at least he was being honest.
The one thing I don't think we will get with Tonali is a similar situation to what we saw with Alexander Isak last summer, when he went on strike to force a move to Liverpool - Tonali owes the club for standing by him during his gambling ban two years ago and there is mutual respect and good feeling between club and player.
I think it's fair to say the future of neither player is certain, Tonali more so than Bruno, in what could be a summer of change at St James' Park.
They are both hugely important to the team, and it's difficult to separate them in terms of ability. But I think Bruno's emotional ties and the fact he captains the club perhaps just give him the nod here. Tonali is worth more in terms of value given his age and contract length, but what we can say with confidence is their general standing within the game is a testament to Newcastle's recruitment over the last few years.
While last summer hasn't gone as planned and some of the big money signings have failed to shine, the likes of Bruno and Tonali have been shining lights within Eddie Howe's recruitment policy since he took over on Tyneside four and a half years ago.
Financially, Newcastle don't need to sell either player. They raked in £125m for Isak last summer, and there's also the potential for others to leave. Tino Livramento for example, only has two years left and has yet to open talks over a new one.
But the club will be desperate to ensure there isn't a repeat of that particular saga, which has had a negative impact on this season.
So I do think they'll be more mindful as to the feelings and mood of players, especially if they are unable to qualify for the Champions League next season.
Howe often says "footballers have a short career" and that's something he and Sporting Director Ross Wilson will be taking into account if a player intimates they'd be interested in exploring a move away from the club. I can still see a situation where both players stay beyond the summer, but it is far from certain.
