Barcelona may have an advantage in pursuing Bruno Guimaraes, who has a secret release clause only valid for the Catalan club.
According to Sport, Barcelona could sign Bruno Guimaraes for much less than his price due to a secret release clause in his contract. Having signed a new deal with Newcastle United with a £100 million exit clause, the Brazilian could still join the Catalans for far less.
Release clause are always confusing as clubs do not necessarily disclose full details. There have been instances when the public information came back to bite some clubs who tried to trigger clauses in player contracts.
While release clauses are mandatory in La Liga, Premier League clubs rarely include it in player contracts. The last known instance in England was with Michael Olise and Jack Grealish, as Manchester City triggered the latters’ £100 million exit terms.
Now, Bruno Guimaraes, with his new contract at Newcastle United, became the latest Premier League player to have a release clause. The Brazilian could leave for £100 million if any interested clubs come in. Other details are unknown, as terms for English and overseas clubs could differ.
Guimaraes has plenty of suitors in Chelsea, Real Madrid and Liverpool, but the report states he dreams of playing for Barcelona. The Catalan giants, embroiled in a financial crisis, could not fund a move when he was a Lyon.
Yet, they had an interest before the summer window, and now, the report reveals something unknown. Sport reckons Guimaraes has a secret Barcelona clause in his new contract that could allow the Catalans to sign him for a lesser fee than his release clause states.
The report points to a potential price of €65-70 million for Barcelona only. How much of it is true remains a question, but Guimaraes intends to leave Newcastle one day. Otherwise, there wouldn’t have been a release clause at all.
Even with the discounted price, there are doubts about whether Barcelona can match the special clause. The Catalans have deep-reaching financial problems, although they might conjure up a few notable sales before making the move for the Brazilian.
The Newcastle fan favourite remains a special player and is liked by Xavi Hernandez. Barcelona are in the market for a new central midfielder, and Guimaraes could perfectly suit their style. The chances of them paying the money remain slim, although the Catalans have done stranger things before.
