Eddie Howe has said that he is unsure whether Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimarães will remain at the club next season.
The Newcastle manager spoke amidst rumours linking the Brazilian midfielder with a move to Arsenal. Sources told ESPN in early July that the north London club were set to step up their interest in Guimarães but that a fee remained a significant stumbling block.
"We've had some really good conversations, before the World Cup, during the World Cup and after the World Cup," Howe told Sky Sports after Newcastle's 1-1 preseason friendly draw with Gateshead on Saturday.
"What we speak about obviously has to remain private, but just a great player, a great person."
When asked whether Guimarães would still be at the club next season, he replied: "I don't know what's going to happen with Bruno's future. That's for other people to speculate about, but also conversations that I'm not part of."
After selling striker Alexander Isak to Liverpool on deadline day last September, Newcastle have already lost two star names this summer in Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon, who have joined Tottenham and Barcelona, respectively.
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"We don't want to lose our best players," Howe said. "That's an obvious statement to make. So, losing those big two is painful for us, and difficult.
"For me, it's been another challenging summer so far, but we're always trying to do our best for the football club, short and long-term, and try and get the squad in its best shape."