Man City can apply Jack Grealish logic to Bruno Guimaraes release clause problem

Newcastle will probably breathe a sigh of relief when the release clause in Bruno Guimaraes's contract expires.

This way of getting out of a contract gives power to the player, as it allows a buying club to make an offer that the selling club cannot be refused. There would be no such clause in Erling Haaland's contract if Manchester City had their way, and Newcastle are entitled to be pleased if a decision on their playmaker is not made for them – however much it would sweep away any PSR (Profit and Sustainability Rules) worries in one swoop.

However, not all release clauses are the same. Some, like Haaland, are a way of presenting the only acceptable amount for the player and others – like Jack Grealish at Aston Villa – are a way of finding the best solution for the player and the selling club.

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Grealish had previously had strong interest from both Tottenham and Manchester United, and even though he eventually stayed with his boyhood club through the two dalliances, there was never a sense that he was unattainable. The longer he stayed, the harder it would be to leave, and so £100m was seen as an opportunity for a clean break that wouldn't need Grealish to agitate for a move away and upset the Villa fans (how well that worked out!).

"We set the value at a level we hoped would not be met, but which would reflect his truly unique value to Aston Villa," said Villa chief executive Christian Purslow. Without the release clause, Grealish could have been as high as £100m but it is doubtful City would have started anywhere near as high as that –