Arsenal transfer news
Bruno Guimaraes to Arsenal: Gunners ready with improved offer for Newcastle’s captain
Bruno Guimaraes to Arsenal: Arsenal mean business. After seeing a cheeky £55m opening bid instantly swatted away by Newcastle United, the Premier League champions are dusting themselves off and preparing a heavy-duty second approach. Word is the next offer will land somewhere around the £65m mark.
Mikel Arteta wants this done. Crucially, Bruno Guimaraes seems to want it too. Before a formal piece of paper was even slid across the table, the Brazilian midfielder reportedly gave Arsenal the green light to open talks.
Newcastle are publicly furious, of course. Their official stance is a flat “not for sale at any price.” But behind the scenes at St James’ Park, panic is setting in. The squad is bleeding talent. Sandro Tonali has already packed his bags for Tottenham. Anthony Gordon is gone. Missing out on European football has left a massive hole in the club’s ambitions, and local reports suggest Guimaraes is openly questioning the trajectory of the whole project.
The numbers from his recent domestic campaign back up exactly why Arteta is chasing him so aggressively. Nine goals and six assists in 29 Premier League appearances tell only half the story. He was the undisputed heartbeat of Eddie Howe’s side, sweeping up the club’s Player of the Year award. Former teammate Emil Krafth summed it up perfectly to the BBC, noting that Guimaraes simply manages games, combining brute physicality with technical elegance.
While some reports hint that £65m might force Newcastle to sit down and talk, Arsenal aren’t messing about. They want their man, and they look ready to pay the premium to avoid a bidding war. (Via Metro)
The World Cup factor complicating everything
Then there is the small matter of what is happening on the global stage. Guimaraes is having an absolute stormer of a World Cup.
He has just equalled a historic 44-year-old national record by registering four assists at the tournament. No Brazilian midfielder has managed that since the legendary Zico in 1982. He set up goals against Morocco and Scotland in the group stages, before delivering another pinpoint ball in the Round of 32 win over Japan.
It is relentless stuff. He has created nine chances so far, the third-highest for any midfielder at the tournament, and has literally run the distance of a marathon, clocking 44.4km across four matches.
Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti can’t stop singing his praises either, highlighting his consistency, huge heart, and defensive grit after the Japan victory. Brazil face Norway next in the last 16 on Sunday, and Guimaraes will be the first name on the teamsheet.
Read: Arsenal star on the way out – €20m deal agreed
Arsenal may have won the league, but that Champions League final defeat rankles. David Ornstein reports that central midfield is the priority area for reinforcement this summer. Stick Guimaraes next to Declan Rice, and Arsenal instantly possess one of the most terrifying midfield pairings in world football. Newcastle are desperate to hold firm, but the sheer weight of the player’s personal ambition might just break their resolve.
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