Pep Guardiola 'insisting on signing Bruno Guimaraes' in mega Newcastle-Man City swap deal

Pep Guardiola is reportedly pushing the Manchester City board to sign Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimaraes, with a potential swap deal between the two clubs being mooted.

City put an end to their seven-game winless run with a convincing 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest in midweek, but the need for reinforcements still exists in the Blues’ midfield.

Injuries, most notably to Rodri, have savaged City’s options in the middle of the park, with free transfer Ilkay Gundogan deputising as the holding midfielder.

Whereas Phil Foden’s season is yet to get up and running on the back of a breakthrough campaign playing centrally last time around.

It’s something Guardiola has recognised with the Catalan coach keen to enter the market for a midfield addition when the window opens in January.

As per The Daily Mail, Guimaraes is seen as the player who could fix their midfield woes during Rodri’s absence, with City considering reigniting their interest following speculation around a transfer to the Etihad Stadium during the summer.

The story claims Guardiola is a huge fan of the Brazilian, with City contemplating whether to test the Magpies’ resolve with a transfer pursuit, be that in early 2025 or the summer.

But, according to the report, when City were looking at Guimaraes in the summer, talk of a swap deal between the Premier League champions and Newcastle involving Matheus Nunes was suggested.

Nunes hadn’t impressed during his debut season in Manchester, having penned a £53million move from Wolves, with rumours suggesting he could’ve left ahead of the 2024/25 season circulating at the time.

However, in the months that have followed, Nunes has found joy in a sky-blue shirt, contributing eight goals and assists from his 16 appearances across all competitions this season.

While he is by no means a mainstay in the City starting XI, given the injury crisis Guardiola has and currently is dealing with, the 2023 European champions might be more reluctant to part ways with the Portuguese international.

Whether it turns out to be Guimaraes or an alternative target, the report states City are expected to add a midfield addition when the January window opens next month.

Conducting business mid-season isn’t something City often do, but when quizzed on the likelihood of flexing their transfer muscle in the new year, Guardiola admitted he’ll sit down with the club’s hierarchy for talks.

Speaking ahead of the Forest win, the ex-Barcelona manager said: “We’ll talk internally what is the best in January. It depends on the position and the situation we are in at that moment.”

City return to action on Saturday afternoon when they take on Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.