​Bruno Guimarães has signaled his wish to leave Newcastle as Arsenal step up their pursuit of the midfielder. The Brazil international, who joined from Lyon in 2022, has attracted strong interest from the Premier League champions this summer. Arsenal had previously explored concrete moves for Guimarães or his former teammate Sandro Tonali, who has since moved to Tottenham for an initial £92.5 million, as they look to reinforce their midfield options.
In talks to gauge the financial viability of a deal for Guimarães, it is understood that an initial fee around £60 million was suggested to the 28-year-old’s representatives. Although Newcastle have not received any direct approach from Arsenal, Mikel Arteta’s side are now ready to lodge a fresh bid for Guimarães, who missed a Brazil penalty as the team exited the World Cup in the last 16 after defeat to Norway on Sunday. At present, Arsenal are said to be seeking a single primary central midfielder, with other targets including Bournemouth’s Alex Scott and Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi also under consideration.
Newcastle are reluctant to lose Guimarães, who is the club captain and a talisman, especially after selling Tonali and Anthony Gordon in this window. Beyond Tonali, the club has seen notable departures from midfield this summer, including Manchester City’s record-club £116 million swoop for England’s Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest, and West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes’s £85 million move to Tottenham. With Guimarães turning 29 in November, his age is likely to be a significant factor in Arsenal’s valuation.
If a central midfielder arrives, it is expected that Newcastle will offload a current player occupying the same position, with Denmark’s 32-year-old Christian Norgaard mentioned as a potential candidate for offers. The development could also prompt questions about Martin Zubimendi’s role as a regular starter in Arteta’s plans for next season.
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