Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes reportedly has a release clause in his contract that can be activated by La Liga champions Barcelona.
Guimaraes was linked with a move away over the summer following enquiries from Premier League giants Chelsea and Manchester City.
The Magpies insisted that they were unwilling to sell the Brazil international, ensuring that he remained at St. James Park when the transfer window slammed shut.
After seeing one of their most prized assets attract interest in the summer, Newcastle subsequently stepped up their efforts to tie him down to a new deal.
Newcastle recently confirmed that the 25-year-old has put pen to paper on a new contract, extending his stay with the club until June 2028.
While Newcastle may have fended off interest for the time being, there is still a risk that he could leave the club in future transfer windows.
According to Sport, the midfielder's new contract contains a release clause that can only be activated by Barcelona.
The report suggests that the 'secret clause' would allow the Catalan giants to sign Guimaraes for a cut-price fee.
Barcelona would only have to pay around £60m to secure the player's signature, which is likely to be less than Newcastle's desired asking price.
As it stands, the La Liga club are unable to spend such an amount on one player due to concerns over Financial Fair Play.
However, they have not ruled out pursuing a future move for Guimaraes, who has indicated that he would like to play for the Catalan giants at some point in his career.
Guimaraes has established himself as a key part of Eddie Howe's side since arriving from French club Lyon in January 2022.
The Brazilian registered four goals and five assists in 32 Premier League appearances last term to help Newcastle achieve a top-four finish.
Guimaraes has continued to feature regularly during the opening two months of the 2023-24 campaign, starting 10 of Newcastle's 11 competitive matches. body check tags ::
