Arsenal’s pursuit of Bruno Guimaraes is being driven by more than a desire to add another elite midfielder, with the club viewing the Newcastle United captain as the ideal player to ease the workload on Declan Rice.
The Gunners have admired the Brazil international for several years and continue to monitor his situation despite Newcastle’s determination to keep hold of one of their most influential players.
Reports in recent days have suggested Arsenal’s interest has cooled because of Newcastle’s valuation, but Guimaraes remains a player the Premier League champions rate extremely highly.
Rather than seeing him as a direct replacement for Rice, Arsenal believe the 28-year-old would give Mikel Arteta another top-class option capable of operating alongside the England international or deputising for him when required.
That flexibility has become increasingly important after Rice’s demanding workload over the past year.
The Arsenal midfielder has featured heavily for both club and country, helping the Gunners win the Premier League before playing a leading role in England’s run to the latter stages of the World Cup.
Rice has also managed persistent fitness issues during that period.
England boss Thomas Tuchel recently confirmed the midfielder has been playing through a neural problem affecting his lower back and hamstring, while illness also disrupted his preparations during the knockout stages of the World Cup.
Despite those setbacks, Rice has continued to feature whenever possible, underlining both his importance and durability.
Arsenal are understood to believe that adding another established midfielder would reduce the need to rely so heavily on the 27-year-old across four competitions next season.
Guimaraes fits that profile perfectly.
The Brazilian has established himself as one of the Premier League’s leading midfielders since joining Newcastle from Lyon in 2022, combining defensive discipline with progressive passing, leadership and creativity.
His ability to operate as a holding midfielder, a deep-lying playmaker or in a more advanced role would also give Arteta greater tactical flexibility.
Arsenal strengthened their midfield last summer by signing Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard, while Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Mikel Merino and Myles Lewis-Skelly provide further quality in central areas.
However, Norgaard has recently been linked with a move away amid interest from elsewhere in the Premier League.
If the former Denmark international were to leave before the transfer window closes, Arsenal would lose an experienced squad option.
Replacing him with a player of Guimaraes’ calibre would represent a significant upgrade, even if negotiations with Newcastle remain difficult because of the Magpies’ high asking price.
Whether Arsenal revive their pursuit remains to be seen, but the club’s long-standing admiration for Guimaraes is rooted as much in protecting Rice’s workload as it is in adding another elite midfielder to Arteta’s title-winning squad.