Newcastle United facing three major contract decisions as Bruno Guimaraes talks progress

Newcastle United have a few major contract decisions to make between now and the January transfer window. Contract talks between the club and Bruno Guimaraes are progressing and it’s hoped that the Brazilian will put pen to paper and extend his stay at the club.

Getting Guimaraes to commit his future to the club, albeit by inserting a release clause in a new deal, is a major step forward for the club as they look to compete on all fronts this season and beyond. However, there are still three more deals that Newcastle United will want to find an agreement on before the winter window opens:

Fabian Schar

Schar is a regular starter under Eddie Howe and with the club having failed to add to their options at centre-back this summer, the Switzerland international will have to play a major role in the first-team this season. Whether that's alongside Sven Botman or Dan Burn, Schar has a major role to play and is someone the club must tie down to a new deal.

The threat of Schar being able to sign a pre-contract agreement with another club from January 1 will loom very large over the next few months and ensure that if Newcastle fail to act quickly, they could set themselves up to lose one of their key players.

Recent reports have hinted that the Magpies are set to open talks with Schar over an extension to his current deal that expires at the end of the season. Schar will turn 32 in December and whilst the club have had a renewed focus on reducing the average age of the first-team squad, he is someone that can still play an influential role within the group over the next few years as his place in the first-team is slowly phased out.

Callum Wilson

Wilson enjoyed his best goal scoring season for Newcastle United last term, netting 18 goals in the league. Early promise from Alexander Isak suggests the club may have found Wilson’s long-term successor, however, much attention must be paid to what the former Bournemouth man can still offer the team right now.

There are very few strikers in the Premier League that guarantee goals at a rate that Wilson does - it could be a very costly error for the club to lose those goals. Although his gametime has reduced in previous seasons, the return of Champions League football and the squad pressures that comes with, Newcastle United must do everything in their power to get Wilson’s stay extended beyond the end of the current campaign.

Jamaal Lascelles

Probably the biggest dilemma the club will encounter in the January transfer window is what Lascelles' future will look like. Lascelles remains a hugely important figure at Newcastle United, however, his current contract expires at the end of the campaign and with a lack of minutes on the pitch, the former Nottingham Forest man may look for regular first-team football elsewhere.

Lascelles, of course, may not sign an extension if offered one and thus making the club’s mind up on whether to cash in on the defender or not. However, losing the 29-year-old on a free transfer in the summer is a worst case scenario outcome that everyone will want to avoid.