Arsenal are expected to revive their interest in Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes after missing out on Morgan Rogers, who has completed his £117 million move to Chelsea.
The Gunners were heavily involved in the race for the England international and made a determined attempt to persuade him to move to the Emirates Stadium.
Mikel Arteta is understood to have spoken directly with Rogers during negotiations, while Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and club captain Martin Odegaard also played their part in trying to convince the attacker to join Arsenal.
Despite those efforts, Arsenal refused to match Aston Villa’s valuation.
Reports indicate the north London club were only prepared to offer around £80 million, well short of the fee Chelsea eventually agreed to pay.
With Rogers now off the market, journalist Ben Jacobs reports that Arsenal are likely to turn their attention back towards Guimaraes as they continue working on their remaining transfer priorities.
The Brazil international has been admired by Arsenal for several transfer windows and is widely regarded as one of the Premier League’s most complete midfielders.
Guimaraes has developed into a key figure at Newcastle, combining outstanding ball progression with defensive intensity, leadership and creativity from central midfield.
His importance to Eddie Howe’s side was recognised when he was appointed club captain, and Newcastle have consistently maintained that they want to build their team around the Brazilian rather than cash in on one of their biggest assets.
That stance means Arsenal would almost certainly need to submit a substantial offer if they are to test Newcastle’s resolve.
Any negotiations are also expected to be complicated by Guimaraes’ long-term contract and Newcastle’s strong financial position, leaving the Magpies under little pressure to sanction a sale.
Arsenal remain active in the transfer market as Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta continue working to strengthen the squad before the new season.
While the Gunners have been linked with several attacking and midfield targets in recent weeks, the club have also shown they are prepared to walk away from deals if valuations exceed their own assessment.
That approach was evident in the pursuit of Rogers, with Arsenal choosing not to enter a bidding war once Chelsea met Villa’s asking price.
Whether the same strategy will apply to Guimaraes remains to be seen.
For now, there is no indication that a formal offer has been submitted, but Jacobs’ latest update suggests the Newcastle captain could once again become a leading target as Arsenal reassess their options following their unsuccessful pursuit of Rogers.
With several weeks of the transfer window still remaining, Arsenal are expected to continue exploring opportunities to add proven Premier League quality to Arteta’s squad.