There is perhaps no more underrated footballer in this country outside the club he plays for than Bruno Guimaraes. He is adored, idolized and adored. He is without a doubt the most precious and valuable jewel in Newcastle United's crown.
In what has been a challenging return to the Champions League for Newcastle in a particularly difficult group, their first experience of European football's most prestigious and gilded competition in two decades, Bruno has thrived.
If Eddie Howe's side are to beat AC Milan in their final group match on Wednesday night and qualify for the knockout rounds (they must at least avoid defeat to secure a Europa League spot in the new year) , then they need Bruno at his best.
"You need your top players to play really well when you're in a situation like this," said Howe, whose bad luck with injuries this season thankfully did not include the Brazilian. "I think his game is in a really good place. It has to be for us to perform well, because he is actually at the basis of everything."
They dictate the pace of their play, receiving the ball in tight spaces, on the turn, asking and probing. He doesn't give the ball away, can handle a man marker and plays with his head up through the opposition's press with a rare composure and a keen awareness of what's going on around him.
This is what Bruno does. He is a beautiful footballer to watch, having dominated midfield in recent home wins against Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United.
Also objectively, he was one of the best players on the pitch in all European matches against AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund and Paris St-Germain. While others at Newcastle had to find their way to gradually get to grips with Champions League football, Bruno looked like he belonged from the start.
That is not surprising as he has previously faced the competition with Lyon, who sold him to Newcastle for £35 million in January last year. But when Bruno arrived, he gave the impression of a player who expected his new club to compete with Europe's elite. He spoke openly about the challenge of becoming the best team in England.
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That was the vision he was sold and he embraced it with enthusiasm, professionalism and the kind of unbridled passion that would make the Geordies fall in love.
When Newcastle lost the League Cup final to Manchester United in March, Bruno broke down in tears after the final whistle. These weren't performative tears to pacify a disappointed fanbase at the end of a lackluster performance. They were the kind that came from real pain and fear.
Bruno cares a lot about Newcastle United. If the fans have fallen in love with him and cherish the kind of player they could only have dreamed of in a black and white shirt before the takeover by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) in October 2021, the feeling is mutual.
The thought of losing a player so talented and so influential will undoubtedly provoke all kinds of negative reactions. There will be both anger and sadness.
Bruno has not once hinted that he would like to leave, he has never spoken about his future career plans and he signed a new contract earlier this year, making him Newcastle's highest-paid player. He fully deserved it too.
This clause may only apply to clubs outside England
But that new contract contains a release clause, which ensures that the player can leave if a club chooses to activate it. Telegraph Sport understands the clause is around the same amount as the £105 million Arsenal paid to sign Declan Rice last summer and could even be as much as the £115 million Chelsea handed to Brighton for Moises Caicedo.
The specific details of the clause have been placed in the public domain for good reason, although some have hinted in conversations with this correspondent that the clause may only apply to clubs outside the Premier League. Bruno has said privately that he would like to play in Spain at some point in his career and Newcastle have always been aware of that.
But the existence of a clause reveals an uncomfortable truth. At some point Newcastle will have to sell their jewel. The rules of profit and sustainability will ultimately require Newcastle to trade rather than just trade. All top clubs do it, no matter how rich or famous they are. The weakness at this stage of Newcastle's development is that they don't have much to sell.
A release clause exists because the player and his advisors demand one, but also because a club wants to ensure they maximize their value if they find themselves in a position where they have to sell.
Bruno will not spend the rest of his career at Newcastle. There comes a point where he wants a new challenge. At the age of 26, he is entering his prime and is good enough to win league titles and European Cups.
For a club scarred by the sale of so many of its star players over the years, from Paul Gascoigne, Chris Waddle and Peter Beardsley to Yohan Cabaye, Demba Ba and Andy Carroll, this will not be an easy conversation.
'We see his long-term future here'
It's also not a topic Howe likes to talk about. When asked what Bruno's long-term future holds and whether he can achieve his personal ambitions at Newcastle, he replied: "Of course I'm going to say he can.
"We see his long-term future here. But this is football, it is unpredictable and you can never promise anything in that area."
What will make it easier to convince Bruno to stay is more Champions League football. A top-four finish will be extremely difficult this season, and Newcastle's crippling injury list makes it even more impressive that they currently remain on the fringes of that race. But you suspect they'll have to be able to offer Bruno - and others - some form of European competition next season to shoot down all the circling vultures.
In the short term, beating AC Milan will also send a strong message. If you had asked any of the top lights at St James' Park if they would have liked to have played in their final group match as they needed to avoid defeat to stay in European competition, they would have accepted it.
In football, the future is always uncertain. The here and now is all that matters and this is Bruno's time to shine.
No one at Newcastle wants him to leave and in an ideal world they would want to beat him for at least one, possibly two, seasons after that. Regardless of what comes next for Bruno, Newcastle must cherish him while they can. Players like him don't come around often.
