Guimaraes has been one of Newcastle’s most impressive stars since joining the club from Lyon in 2022. The playmaker has made 81 appearances since signing for the Toon Army, playing a pivotal role in their significant progress over the past few seasons.

The 26-year-old’s displays have not gone unnoticed by other Premier League outfits, with Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea also reportedly holding an interest in the midfielder. Top clubs around Europe are also aware of Guimaraes, with Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona shortlisting the No. 39 as a transfer target this summer.

Howe has now confirmed that his maestro will be available to suitors for £100m before the last week of June, with a release clause inserted into Guimaraes’ recently-signed contract extension. The former Bournemouth boss explained: “Having that was well planned and structured by the club, in a sense that there’s a sort of finish point.

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“We don’t want constant speculation, it’s not healthy for the player or for us. It goes without saying we want to keep him, I want to build our team around him.

“His form has been very good — he seems very happy and settled. He’ll be thinking about a very busy summer ahead, where hopefully we can take the team with him a big part of it. But we aren’t in control of that so let’s see.”