​Bruno Guimaraes | Credit: SmartFrame Images | News ImagesSo, Bruno Guimaraes has left Newcastle United.And worse than that, he’s gone to Arsenal.There are some transfers where I can smile, thank a player for their service and genuinely wish them all the best.But… this isn’t one of them.Not because I have decided to suddenly hate him, but rather, because wishing Bruno all the best now essentially means wishing Arsenal all the best.And I’m certainly not doing that. Not now, not ever!So, the question going around is my head right now is, is Bruno Guimaraes a rat?It’s difficult and very tempting.In the case for the prosecution, he has left us with years remaining on his contract and has joined a Premier League rival. He has also gone to a club that we want to consistently finish above and, ideally, see relegated. Although, admittedly, the latter seems somewhat unlikely. No true Toon fan likes Arsenal!But no. In my view he is not a rat.In my humble opinion, what he is, however, is another sign that we are quickly growing up. For years, we’ve been terrible at knowing when to sell players. We keep them until their value has disappeared, their bodies have started failing them and their wages have become an obstacle to moving them on. Sentiment takes over and eventually we’re left with ageing, often injury prone, players on substantial contracts who nobody else particularly wants.The facts are Bruno is about to turn 29. He was our highest-paid player. And we have just received an extraordinary fee for him, reportedly a world-record amount for a player of his age if you believe the press. That’s the sort of transaction serious football clubs make every year. Like most people, I would have liked another season of Bruno. He’s an incredible, game changing footballer and, on his day, is up there with the best midfielders I’ve seen in black and white.But, realistically what would another year actually have achieved? At 30, we’re probably not talking about £75 million anymore. Perhaps we’re talking £45 million or £50 million. Perhaps less. And are we confident that the next 12 months would have given us the very best version of Bruno Guimarães or would we see a declining player with increasing injuries and a slowing in pace and stamina? Time will tell!This is the uncomfortable part of transitioning to being a competitive club at the top table. We can’t simultaneously complain that Newcastle United are hopeless at selling players and not managing SCR constraints, whilst at the same time shouting at clouds whenever we sell somebody we love at precisely the point when their value is highest with the money then being ploughed back into the team to build the next generation of winners.The right football decision sometimes feels like the wrong emotional one.I genuinely believe Bruno loved Newcastle. I think he loved the city, loved playing at St James’ Park and had a genuine connection with the us, the supporters. I don’t think those