Bruno Guimaraes

Bruno Guimaraes is the single most important player in Newcastle United’s transformation from relegation candidates to Champions League competitors, and if you do not believe that, try watching the Magpies when he is injured. The Brazilian international controls games with his passing, wins the ball back with aggressive pressing that belies his creative instincts, and contributes goals from midfield with the timing of a centre-forward. He is the heartbeat, the brain, and the lungs of Eddie Howe’s ambitious project, and since arriving from Lyon in January 2022, everything that has gone right at St James’ Park has passed through his boots.

Guimaraes’ technical quality is exceptional — the kind of first touch and passing range that makes you understand why Brazilian footballers are spoken about in reverential tones — but what elevates him above other technically gifted midfielders is the defensive work rate. He combines box-to-box energy with creative passing in a way that is genuinely rare in modern football. The persistent interest from Europe’s biggest clubs has been predictable and persistent, but Guimaraes’ commitment to Newcastle’s project has endeared him to the Geordie faithful in a way that transcends mere appreciation and enters the realm of devotion.

For Australian fans, Guimaraes is the best of Brazilian football distilled into a single player — technically brilliant, tactically intelligent, and capable of producing moments of magic that alter the trajectory of matches and seasons alike.

Career Statistics

Player Profile

With 105 appearances and 15 goals, Guimaraes’ numbers only begin to tell the story of his influence. The Brazilian is Newcastle’s most important player in the 2025-26 season, the driving force behind a campaign that is challenging for honours on multiple fronts. If Newcastle win anything, Guimaraes will be the reason. If they fall short, it will not be for lack of effort from the man who makes everything work. He is, quite simply, irreplaceable.

VS — Chief sports columnist, australiafootball.com