Arsenal are set to make Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes their first major signing of the summer, with a £75million fee agreed. The Brazilian midfielder is expected to undergo a medical soon, having informed Newcastle of his wish to leave.
Arteta's ambition
Manager Mikel Arteta has been clear about the need for significant squad improvements. After losing the Champions League final to Paris Saint-Germain in May, he said: "We're going to have to show that ambition … [we must be] very, very ambitious, very fast and very smart." Signing one of the Premier League's best midfielders to compete with Declan Rice is a statement of intent.
Deal details
Arsenal's initial bid was rejected, but talks continued and a fee was agreed on Tuesday evening. By Wednesday morning, the club were planning a medical. Guimaraes had joined Newcastle's pre-season camp in Spain on Monday but has since said his goodbyes.
The 28-year-old missed six Premier League matches last season due to a hamstring injury but has otherwise been almost ever-present for the Magpies over the past four years. Arsenal, hit hard by injuries, value his robustness for a 60-match season.
Impact on midfield
Guimaraes would provide cover and competition for Rice, who has been managing neural pain in his hamstring since December. Rice played more minutes than any other Arsenal outfield player last season, and was the only player other than goalkeeper David Raya to exceed 3,000 minutes.
His fitness issues were evident during the World Cup, where he struggled in training and was withdrawn early in a quarter-final tie against Norway. Arsenal want to protect Rice, and Guimaraes offers a ready-made alternative.
Fit and qualities
Guimaraes is press-resistant, has the physicality and spatial awareness Arteta admires, and adds leadership after captaining Newcastle. He would likely sit in front of the back four, with Rice and Martin Ødegaard alongside in a midfield trio.
Guimaraes made more line-breaking passes per game than any other Newcastle player last season, and scored nine league goals with five assists. Only Viktor Gyökeres bettered that tally for Arsenal.
Arsenal have tracked Guimaraes since 2020, and considered a move in January 2022 before Newcastle swooped in. Now, at £75million, he represents the "very smart" decision-making Arteta called for.
Once the deal is complete, Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta may turn attention to Vinicius Jr, though that move is complicated by Real Madrid's desire to extend his contract.
