Newcastle United's sporting director Ross Wilson has defended the club's handling of Bruno Guimaraes' departure to Arsenal, admitting the exit was unwanted but insisting the fee received represented a fair outcome for the Magpies.
Guimaraes, who had become a firm favourite among Newcastle supporters, was reportedly keen to push through the move once Arsenal's interest became apparent. His departure marked one of two significant midfield losses for the club during the transfer window, with Sandro Tonali also leaving to join Tottenham.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Wilson acknowledged the emotional difficulty of letting Guimaraes go while highlighting the financial compensation that came with the deal.
"We did not want to lose Bruno Guimaraes," Wilson said. "That was really disappointing that we got to that place in the end, albeit we were happy where we got to in terms of numbers."
He added that the sale had not been part of Newcastle's original strategy for the summer. "That was not part of our plan. Everything else that happened during the window was part of the plan," Wilson explained.
The summer proved eventful for Newcastle beyond the midfield exits. Anthony Gordon also left the club, with funds generated from the departures of Guimaraes, Tonali and Gordon reinvested into new arrivals including Sean Steur, Lukas Hornicek, Amad Dedic and Nico Gonzalez. Adding to the sense of upheaval, manager Eddie Howe's departure in August came as a surprise to many observers of the club.
Despite the appearance of a disorderly window from the outside, Wilson pushed back against suggestions that Newcastle experienced any internal disarray during the period.
"Genuinely, it never felt chaotic inside. There is no point us pretending otherwise," he stated.
The sporting director conceded that not every incoming player represented Newcastle's top choice for their respective positions, but stressed this was a normal feature of football's transfer market rather than a sign of dysfunction.
"That does not mean that every single player who signed was the number one name on our list, but that is never the case in any transfer window," Wilson said. "Clearly we were disappointed a couple of times but, again, that's normal. No club goes into the window and reaches the end getting every target they set out to get. If they say they did, it is a lie."
Wilson expressed confidence that Newcastle had assembled a squad capable of competing this season, while leaving the door open for further changes when the transfer window reopens in January.
"We have built a squad for the season," he said. "That doesn't mean we might not make further alterations to it in January."
The comments come at a time when Newcastle face scrutiny over their transfer business, having lost several key contributors while navigating a managerial change. Wilson's remarks suggest the club's hierarchy views the summer's events as part of a broader long-term strategy rather than a series of setbacks, even as they acknowledge that losing a player of Guimaraes' stature was not an outcome they had hoped for.
Whether the reinvestment of transfer funds proves successful will likely become clearer as the season progresses, with January representing another opportunity for Newcastle to reshape their squad if required.
Based on reporting from Standard Football (Sky Sports).