Jaissle: Guimaraes exit was already settled

Newcastle manager Matthias Jaissle has confirmed that the decision about Bruno Guimaraes' future was already made when he arrived at the club. According to BBC Sport, the Brazilian midfielder will leave for Arsenal in a deal worth £75 million following a breakthrough in negotiations.

Jaissle had a brief meeting with the player at the team's training camp in Spain this week. "I met him quickly, but the decision was already made," the manager said in his first press conference. "He's a fantastic player and a great human being. It's tough, but for him it's the next challenge."

With Guimaraes' departure, Newcastle loses their fourth major player in less than a year. Anthony Gordon (Barcelona), Sandro Tonali (Tottenham) and Alexander Isak (Liverpool) have also left recently. Despite this, Jaissle views the rebuild as an opportunity to shape a young, hungry side, believing "there will be progress this season".