Jamie Carragher has told Arsenal that they must outbid Tottenham Hotspur to sign Bruno Guimaraes this summer, after Newcastle United rejected their opening £55 million bid. The Liverpool legend believes Newcastle will only sell one of their star midfielders—Guimaraes or Sandro Tonali—meaning the Gunners face a direct battle with their north London rivals.
Newcastle's midfield dilemma
Newcastle are facing a major rebuild after a poor season that saw them fail to qualify for European competition. Anthony Gordon has already left for Barcelona, while Tonali has attracted a £75 million bid from Tottenham, which was rejected last week. The Magpies consider Guimaraes untouchable, but an offer in the region of £85 million to £100 million could persuade them to sell the Italian.
According to Carragher, Newcastle cannot afford to lose both midfielders. 'Guimaraes and Tonali both leave a huge hole for Newcastle to fill,' he said on Sky Sports News. 'I think they probably lose one of them, and it would probably come down to who is getting offered the most money for.'
Arsenal's midfield shortlist
Mikel Arteta is keen to strengthen his midfield and has several targets on his list, including Bournemouth's Alex Scott, West Ham's Matheus Fernandes, and Tonali—who was offered to Arsenal in January. However, Guimaraes remains the primary target, and the 26-year-old is believed to prefer a move to Arsenal over Tottenham.
Carragher praised Guimaraes as a 'wonderful player' who can play for top teams, noting his role as Brazil's central midfielder in the World Cup. 'He's loved up there, maybe he's getting a little bit frustrated at seeing all his mates getting linked with moves,' Carragher added.
Tottenham's swift business
Tottenham have been active in the transfer window under manager Roberto De Zerbi, completing deals for Marcos Senesi, Jan Paul van Hecke, Andy Robertson, and Martin Dubravka. Carragher commended De Zerbi's approach: 'He wants to get things done quickly, bring his own players there as soon as possible, before pre-season starts.'
With Spurs pushing for Champions League qualification, they pose a serious threat to Arsenal's pursuit of Guimaraes. Carragher concluded, 'It looks like he's attracting some top players and Tonali is that.'
