Newcastle United have scarcely fired wide of the mark since the affluent PIF takeover in October 2021, and no deal encapsulates the winds of change at the club better than Bruno Guimaraes.

Signing in January 2022 from Lyon for £40m, Guimaraes joined a struggling Premier League outfit that was battling to preserve top-flight status, but his impact has exceeded expectations and then some.

Making 17 divisional appearances across the second phase of the 21/22 campaign, the 25-year-old would score five goals and register one assist, integral in ushering in a new level of performance and a new sense of belief, with manager Eddie Howe blown away by his engine's technical ability and hailing him as "magnificent" as the threat of relegation swiftly became a fleeting and poignant memory.

Recording a spectacular seasonal Sofascore rating of 7.25, complementing his direct output with an 86% pass success rate and an average of 2.6 tackles per match, the £120k-per-week gem carried his form into the new footballing year and has been the centrepiece of the outfit's resounding exploits, having reached the Carabao Cup finale and perching comfortably inside the league's top-four with just five matches to play.

How much is Bruno Guimaraes worth?

Few would've expected the Magpies to ascend to the front of the game as swiftly as they have done, but it is all down to manager Howe's tactical aptitude, the pinpoint success in the market alongside technical director Dan Ashworth, and the implementation on the field.

Guimaraes was the perfect signing; as per FBref, the midfield monster ranks among the top 16% of positional peers for rate of assists, the top 20% for progressive passes, the top 15% for successful take-ons and the top 15% for tackles per 90, confirming the dynamism of his trade that has left him held in such high regard.

According to a recent report stemming from Spain, Liverpool are considering attempting a swoop for the gem, with a seismic fee of €100m (£88m) being touted. Real Madrid are another who have been noted as suitors for the midfielder.

This value represents a staggering 120% increase from the fee paid for Guimaraes' signature last year, and is a testament to the Magpies' resounding success in such a short time.

Hailed as "world-class" by his teammate Dan Burn, Guimaraes will undoubtedly continue to see his value balloon over the coming months, with the Toon poised for that coveted spot in the Champions League.

And while Jurgen Klopp's Reds may hold a vested interest in the ten-cap ace, there is a feeling that Guimaraes has scarcely scratched the surface of his potential on Tyneside, and despite the lucrative fees his name is being touted at, it would be ludicrous for Howe and co to imagine anything other than a future with the Brazilian at the heart of the plans. Indeed, they truly struck gold when bringing him to the club last year.