Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has branded Newcastle United's Bruno Guimaraes as a "exceptional holding midfielder" ahead of Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final tie between the two teams at the Etihad Stadium.

Guimaraes joined the Magpies from Lyon for around £40m in January 2022 and has since become a star player under manager Eddie Howe as well as a fans' favourite at St James' Park.

The Brazil international has contributed with 13 goals and 13 assists in 96 appearances as a deep-lying midfielder for Newcastle across all competitions, including three goals and seven assists in 39 games so far this season.

Recent reports claim that Man City are one of a number of top European clubs exploring a summer move for Guimaraes, with the Citizens said to hold a 'huge interest' in the 26-year-old.

Guardiola believes that Guimaraes is one of the best players in his position in world football and has talked up his qualities ahead of Newcastle's visit to the Etihad on Saturday.

"He is an exceptional holding midfielder," Guardiola said at a press conference on Friday, "He is aggressive, with the ball or without the ball.

"At set pieces, he's aggressive and is a real, complete holding midfielder since being at Lyon and now at a club who want to grow up and up.

"I'm sure he's part of the project for the next years. Definitely."

Guimaraes is under contract at St James' Park until June 2028 and he recently insisted that he is "very happy" at the club.

However, the midfielder has been tipped to potentially depart the Magpies this summer amid the club's financial situation, with CEO Darren Eales stating earlier this year that the club may be required to sell some of their star players to balance their books.

Guimaraes has only faced Paris Saint-Germain (eight) on more occasions than Man City (seven) in his club career, winning two, drawing one and losing four times in total against the Citizens.

The midfielder was instrumental during a second-half substitute appearance in helping Newcastle claim a 1-0 victory over Man City in the EFL Cup third round earlier this season.

Guimaraes's only other triumph over Man City was during his time at Lyon in the Champions League when the French side won 3-1 in a quarter-final tie in August 2020.

Newcastle head into Saturday's clash with Man City seeking to reach their first FA Cup semi-final since 2004-05, while Guardiola and co could become the first team in the competition's history to reach six consecutive semi-finals if they beat the Magpies.