Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes has revealed that he held talks with Real Madrid during the summer transfer window.
The Brazilian midfielder joined the Magpies earlier this year as one of the first marquee signings under their new Saudi ownership.
Newcastle splashed £40 million to secure services from Lyon, and he has already shown he is worth every penny.
The 24-year-old played a pivotal role in Newcastle’s turnaround under Eddie Howe last season, leading them to an 11th-place finish in the Premier League.
Guimaraes has continued his stellar form this season and netted a stunning double in the 5-1 victory over Brentford last weekend.
While being known as a defensive phenomenon during his time at Lyon, the Brazilian international has become a more rounded player at St James’ Park.
His goalscoring prowess has also seen a sharp rise after netting seven goals in 24 appearances for the Magpies.
After the victory against the Bees, Guimaraes revealed that he was wanted by Madrid but insisted he firmly believed in Newcastle’s project.
“I never doubted the project – I believe in it,” he told the Chronicle. “I always wanted to play in the Premier League and I am now just enjoying that.
“The ground loves me and I love them. I want to keep going. I want to be a legend here. Real Madrid is the best team in the world. It is nice. But it is just a conversation, it is nothing.”
Los Blancos were tracking Guimaraes during the summer transfer window before they signed Aurelien Tchouameni in a deal worth €100m.
