Former Liverpool star Danny Murphy has claimed that Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes is not a ‘great athlete’ and that he needs another player beside him in the middle of the park.
The Brazilian midfielder has consistently been Newcastle’s best player since joining the club in January 2022 after turning down several top European sides to move to the Magpies.
But despite committing his future to the club both verbally and on paper, there have been relentless rumours regarding a potential move away.
The most recent of which has speculated that Pep Guardiola is interested in bringing him to Manchester City to help complete his midfield.
But although rated highly by a majority of top managers, former Liverpool star Murphy has identified what he thinks is a key weakness.
“That (not being a good athlete) is what will stop him from being one of the best because everything else in his game is superb,” he said on talkSPORT.
“(He is a) great passer, technically gifted, but he’s not a great athlete. He needs real athletes around him to shine.”
The 26-year-old would have hoped to have Sandro Tonali sitting alongside him in the middle of the park this season but unfortunately, the Italian star has been suspended after a betting investigation.
Although many Newcastle fans will disagree with the criticism of his lack of athletic ability, pairing him up with a more physical player helps him focus on more technical aspects of his game.