Newcastle United were in trouble in the Premier League when PIF completed their takeover of the club from Mike Ashley in October 2021.

The new owners opted to sack Steve Bruce and appointed Eddie Howe as his successor in November with the Magpies sitting 19th in the table and five points adrift of safety.

PIF decided to back their first appointment by splashing the cash in the transfer market during their first window in January 2022; bringing in Kieran Trippier, Bruno Guimaraes, Dan Burn, Matt Targett, and Chris Wood.

These signings and Howe's management fired the side up the table and to safety as Newcastle ended the season in 11th place, well clear of the bottom three.

Guimaraes, in particular, has been a phenomenal signing for the Magpies so far as he has taken to Premier League football like a duck to water.

The Brazilian joined the club from Ligue 1 side Lyon and Transfermarkt valued him at £27m at the time of the move, after he had scored three goals in 71 appearances for the French outfit.

It did not take him long to settle into life in England as he quickly became a key player for Howe in the middle of the park during Newcastle's resurgence up the table.

He played 17 times in the second half of the season and chipped in with five goals and one assist, whilst averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.25 - the highest of any Toon player with at least ten appearances.

This term, he has taken his game to the next level and is currently averaging a SofaScore rating of 7.57 in the top flight, a score that only Kieran Trippier (7.58) is ahead of. The exciting dynamo has scored two goals and provided one assist in six outings and has made a big impact at the other end of the pitch, making 4.3 tackles and interceptions per game.

No player in the Newcastle squad has made more defensive actions per match than Guimaraes and this, along with his consistently brilliant ratings, shows how important he is to Howe's team.

At the time of writing, Transfermarkt value the Brazilian at a whopping £45m. This means that his value has rocketed by £18m (67%) in just ten months at the club, with his price soaring in line with his superb performances on the pitch.

Statman Dave described him as a "sensational" signing for Newcastle and the statistics, both in terms of what he has produced in the Premier League and how his value has soared, back that up.

PIF struck gold by signing him from Lyon back in January and, at the age of 24, he still has plenty left to give. He could grow and improve as he gains more experience in the Premier League and, hopefully, he will be a special player for the Magpies for many more years to come.