Guimaraes: Newcastle aim to keep stars after Isak exit ahead of Barcelona clash

Newcastle United head into a high-stakes Champions League night against Barcelona, with captain Bruno Guimaraes addressing the dressing room’s priorities after Alexander Isak's summer exit. Isak's £125 million British-record move to Liverpool marked the first major departure of the club’s Saudi-led era and underscored the financial and sporting pressures on a squad reshaping itself toward sustained continental competition.

Guimaraes said the dressing room does not want to lose its best players and stressed that football is business. 'As a player, we don’t want to lose our best players, if you want to be successful,' he said. 'We have to improve our squad, and I think we did this very well in this summer – we look forward to go again. I want to win things. I have never changed my mind and I still look to make history at this club. We have been in the Champions League two times in the last three years, that is unbelievable for us. We have to keep that going. There is a big job for us to do here and I want to be part of this team.'

Guimaraes acknowledged he was among those in the squad who were vocal in frustration about Isak's exit, but framed the situation as part of the sport's business logic. 'I think football is business. I think the club made a choice. He’s gone and I wish him all the best. But this is not the time to look at the past, it's time to look forward to the future at Newcastle. We have the Barca game and we are looking forward to it.'

Head coach Eddie Howe challenged his players to prove they are good enough for Champions League football. 'The players have to show that they’re good enough to play at this level and that they’re excelling at this level - playing (alone) isn’t good enough, we need our players to excel,' Howe said. 'There are benefits across the board in terms of qualifying, which is our first target. Financial, of course, but also showing the squad that we’re strong enough to compete.'

Isak’s exit remains a talking point in the club’s broader rebuild, but Newcastle's hierarchy and players have emphasized continuity and ambition. With two seasons of Champions League involvement in the last three years, the club is aiming to balance growth, financial realities, and sporting aspirations as it pursues another deep run in Europe while also contending for domestic trophies.

That competition record and the ongoing rebuild come as Newcastle prepare for a critical stretch of the season, with Barcelona looming as a measure of how far the side has come since the Saudi-led investment began. Guimaraes and Howe’s comments reflect a shared message: the project continues, and the best way to safeguard it is through sustained on-field performance.