Arsenal have identified Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimarães as their top target to strengthen their midfield this summer.
The Gunners first made an approach to sign the Brazilian near the end of June, but an unofficial offer was turned down with Newcastle inducing interest in both star midfielders and Sandro Tonali being sold to Tottenham.
“Arsenal were preparing to make a formal bid to Newcastle for Bruno Guimarães after a verbal offer of around £55 million through an intermediary was rejected. Newcastle insist they do not want to sell, but direct contact between the clubs is now expected.” – Ben Jacobs
It is well known that Mikel Arteta’s side are keen to sign a new midfielder this summer, having also held contract talks with Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandes and AFC Bournemouth star Alex Scott.
However, it remains to be seen whether the Blues intend to strengthen their rivals, while Bournemouth are unlikely to sign the Scot this summer, instead looking to tie the Englishman to a new long-term deal.
Football Fancast Verdict | |
|---|---|
reliability | The Gunners definitely need to sign another top-flight midfielder this summer, given Martin Zvimendi has played less of a role as the season progresses. In fact, the Spain international was left out for Miles Lewis-Skelly in the Premier League title bid. |
finances | Newcastle quickly rescinded their initial £55m bid, suggesting they were well short of their valuation. Therefore, signing the Brazilian star could be expensive. |
insight | No wonder the Magpies are reluctant to sign the midfielder, who has been hailed as “world class” by manager Eddie Howe. Last season, he scored nine goals and provided six assists in 29 Premier League appearances, a solid performance considering Newcastle were struggling. |
impact | Considering it would cost Chelsea £107m if Arsenal were to sign Guimarães, signing Fernandes could become financially unviable. The Newcastle star could become Declan Rice’s new midfield partner after Zvimendi did not start in the Champions League final and was not featured for Spain throughout the World Cup. |
Arsenal to make new bid for Bruno Guimarães
TEAMtalk reports that Arsenal are currently actively pursuing a move for the Newcastle midfielder as they are likely to miss out on Scott and are currently considering a second bid.
The Magpies have already allowed a number of big sales this summer and are said to have “surrendered”, but the 28-year-old is now tempted to leave as he “desires” to play on the biggest stage.
However, with Tonali’s sale strengthening Newcastle’s financial position, Andrea Berta will likely have to significantly increase his initial bid.
How did Bruno Guimarães perform for Brazil at the World Cup?
Brazil suffered a shocking exit from the World Cup in the last 16 at the hands of Norway, but Norway won 2-1 with two goals from Erling Haaland.
However, Guimarães was still able to impress on an individual level, registering four assists in five games and was trusted by manager Carlo Ancelotti to start every game.
Other key World Cup stats for Bruno Guimarães
Play time 419 minutes
10 chances were created
165 completed passes
Missed two big chances
Win 23 duels
Meanwhile, Zvimendi has yet to play a single minute for Spain, meaning the Arsenal star has not been able to exclude Dani Olmo, Rodri and Pedri from his starting XI.
Future performances aside, Guimarães averaged 2.3 tackles per 90 in the Premier League last season, the second highest in Newcastle’s squad, showing he is a well-rounded midfielder and could be an upgrade over Zvimendi.
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