Yesterday evening, Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope reported that Arsenal had held talks with Bruno Guimaraes’ representatives and that Newcastle were bracing themselves for a bid.
Overnight, Brazilian outlet O Globo claimed the Gunners had seen a £55 million offer for the midfielder rejected.
In between those reports, Lee Ryder, about as plugged in as anyone when it comes to the goings-on at St James’ Park, said his sources inside the club insist their captain is not for sale. Fabrizio Romano has since said something similar.
With speculation already swirling that Italy international Sandro Tonali is pushing for a move, and Sp*rs reportedly having an £80 million bid rejected, it’s difficult to imagine Newcastle sanctioning the sale of two star midfielders in the same window.
Equally, the mooted £55 million fee feels well below the sort of figure others are commanding this summer. Last night, Manchester City struck a deal worth £116 million for Elliot Anderson.
Bruno has been on Arsenal’s radar for years. Edu wanted to sign him while he was still at Lyon. That said, it’s also possible Andrea Berta is using the Brazilian to apply a little pressure elsewhere.
Last summer, the Italian made a point of keeping multiple options alive, seemingly playing targets, their representatives and clubs off against one another to keep negotiations moving.
The Gunners have already been heavily linked with Morgan Rogers, Ayyoub Bouaddi, Mateus Fernandes, Alex Scott and others as they look to strengthen their midfield options.
As ever at this stage of the window, separating genuine interest from negotiating theatre is easier said than done. It’s also worth noting that none of the more reliable transfer reporters have weighed in on this one yet. We’ll see whether it develops into something concrete or quietly disappears over the coming days.