Newcastle appear to be 'preparing a new contract for Bruno Guimaraes', just days after sporting director Dan Ashworth hinted he may have to leave amid interest from Real Madrid.
The Brazilian has been a key player for Newcastle since arriving in January, and was recently described by Sportsmail's Craig Hope as potentially the 'most talented midfielder' in the club's history.
He has scored seven goals in 23 Premier League games across the past two seasons and brought an excellent work rate to the Magpies.
Speaking ahead of Newcastle's clash with Manchester United on Sunday, manager Eddie Howe said of Guimaraes: 'We desperately want Bruno to be happy here, to enjoy his football and see a long-term vision.'
'We want to build a team. We're in the very early stages of that, so we don't want to disrupt the group we have, we want to add quality - that's the aim.
'But Bruno has done unbelievably well. He has fitted in so well and epitomised the team spirit and the drive we need to be successful.'
Fabrizio Romano tweeted shortly afterwards that he believed Newcastle would offer the 24-year-old a new deal.
This appears to be a rapid change of direction, after Ashworth hinted earlier this week that players such as Guimaraes may need to leave the club.
The sporting director said the midfielder 'is a top player and a really important part of the journey', but went on to cast doubt over his future after rumours of discussions with Real.
He said: 'You can never control when a club or an opportunity comes knocking for a player that maybe has an aspiration they have always wanted to do.
'It might be a certain city in the world, it might be a club or it might be a country.
'I can't lie and say we'll never have to sell a player and that we'll always be able to hold onto our top talent.'