Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori has said the club "need" players like Bruno Guimaraes and Vinicius Jr to build on their Premier League title success. The Gunners are close to announcing the £75 million signing of Guimaraes from Newcastle, who passed a medical on Thursday and agreed a four-year contract.
Vinicius Jr Transfer Speculation
Arsenal fans hope Brazil midfielder Guimaraes will be joined in north London by international teammate Vinicius Jr, for whom the champions are ready to launch a blockbuster move. However, reports suggest Real Madrid and manager Jose Mourinho are confident the forward will sign a contract extension before his current deal expires next summer.
If Vinicius Jr stays, Arsenal may seek another star attacking signing before the transfer deadline, following the £34m arrival of Greek winger Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge.
Calafiori's Comments
Calafiori believes the calibre of players targeted by Arsenal shows how far they have come and is necessary as they defend their first league title in 22 years. "We are on that level now. We are on top," he told reporters after a 3-1 friendly defeat by Real Betis in Dublin. "We want to win the league again and we want to be even better than last season if we can. We need these kind of players, I think."
Asked about the Guimaraes signing, Calafiori teased: "Is it official yet?"
Arteta's Response
Manager Mikel Arteta declined to comment on Guimaraes' imminent arrival. "I'm not going to talk about any players who aren't Arsenal players," he said. When asked about the boost the signing would provide, he added: "Well, I can tell you at the moment that something happens and we can announce it. I will give you my straight answer."
