Arsenal have been linked with a move for a £40m-rated Brazilian midfielder. Reports claim the north London outfit are keen on securing 21-year-old Corinthians midfielder Breno Bidon, having initially made enquiries about his potential acquisition back in January.
Bidon's Brazil debut and admiration for Guimaraes
The £40million-rated prospect earned his maiden senior cap for Brazil this week, featuring alongside his idol Bruno Guimaraes. While he refrained from addressing his mounting links with Arsenal, he instead expressed his admiration for the Gunners star.
Bidon told Gazeta Esportiva: "From the current generation, Bruno Guimaraes is someone I follow a lot. He had a very good World Cup and managed to stand out."
"He is someone who has already experienced a lot in football. He started young in Brazil and he's someone I really look up to. From what I've seen while being around him, he has a very good and winning mentality. And on the pitch, I don't even need to say anything. He's been playing really well."
Transfer stance and Zubimendi link
While Arsenal have yet to table a formal offer for Bidon, they reportedly requested to be kept abreast of developments earlier this year. It is understood that any potential approach hinges on Martin Zubimendi's future, given that the Spaniard has slipped down Mikel Arteta's pecking order since the latter stages of last season.
Vinicius Junior thanks Guimaraes
Vinicius Junior has expressed gratitude to Arsenal's Bruno Guimaraes for allowing him to take Brazil's 80th-minute penalty during their 4-2 victory over Australia. With the scoreline at 3-2, Brazil were awarded a late spot-kick in Tuesday's friendly.
With regular penalty taker Raphinha having been substituted, midfielder Guimaraes was the designated next choice to step up. However, recognising his team-mate Vinicius' need for a confidence boost following a recent barren spell in front of goal, the Gunners' summer signing handed over penalty duties to Vinicius, enabling him to find the net and restore some self-belief.
The Real Madrid star, who had been strongly linked with a switch to Arsenal during the summer transfer window before penning a contract extension with Los Blancos, expressed his gratitude towards Guimaraes for the generous gesture after the final whistle.
The forward said: "Bruno Guimaraes is our penalty taker when Raphinha isn't playing, and I thought he'd want to take it, but he knows that I need a bit of confidence right now, in this moment. My team-mates know I need some confidence now. Losing a World Cup is hard and difficult to accept, and the comeback is never easy."
Guimaraes said after: "That was the reason [the penalty gave Vini confidence]. After the penalty incident, many things came to light. But here in the national team, we have no vanity whatsoever. In the World Cup, [manager Carlo] Ancelotti told me to take the penalty. Today, he told Vini to take it. Vini really needed to score a goal. He took it very well. We have no vanity whatsoever. We want what's best for Brazil. We're happy for him and it's about continuing the work."
During a week where Premier League rivals Manchester City continue to dominate the headlines, coverage of Arsenal has largely centred on the international break and potential future transfer activity. An impressive 17 Gunners players received call-ups to represent their countries during the current international fixtures. The break arrived immediately following the Gunners' first defeat of the campaign - a comprehensive 3-0 loss against Brighton following a run of away games.
Before that setback, Arteta's squad had secured seven consecutive victories across all competitions to launch the 2026/27 season, during which they will aim to build upon last term's Premier League title triumph. Arteta will be hoping his squad can steer clear of any injuries or fitness concerns for the remainder of the international fixtures ahead of Leeds United's trip to the Emirates Stadium on October 10. He has already witnessed Kai Havertz leave Germany's squad early owing to a minor muscle problem.
