Arsenal are determined to land a marquee midfielder this summer.
The Gunners recently confirmed the arrival of winger Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge, and the club are now expected to focus on signing an elite midfielder.
Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes is the priority target, and BBC Sport claim that the Magpies are aware of the 28-year-old’s preference to join Arsenal.
Earlier this month, Brazilian outlet UOL Esporte revealed that the Gunners have had verbal offers worth £55 million and £65 million turned down for Guimaraes.
A third proposal was widely expected, and BBC Sport now add that the Premier League champions are set to make a £70m offer to convince Newcastle to sell him.
Arsenal stepping up pursuit of Guimaraes
The Gunners recently suffered a big setback with Chelsea beating them to Morgan Rogers’ signature.
The Englishman was the prime left-wing target for Arsenal, but the Blues won the race by paying a club-record £117m. The Gunners refused to match the Blues’ bid for the 23-year-old.
Arsenal undoubtedly received an untimely blow in the transfer market and need to make amends soon. They have yet to find an alternative to Rogers, but have ‘accelerated‘ talks for Guimaraes.
As per Fabrizio Romano, personal terms have been fully agreed with the midfielder. Newcastle are expected to reject the upcoming bid, but Arsenal feel they can still get it done.
It has previously been reported that the Magpies are eyeing between £80-85m, and it could be a region where the Tyneside outfit contemplate parting ways with their talismanic leader.
Guimaraes, described as ‘very special‘ by Newcastle manager Eddie Howe, is currently contracted until June 2028 with an option for another year. The Magpies may ultimately feel they can’t secure a much higher fee in future transfer windows.
For Arsenal, the former Lyon man would be a level-raiser. He could play alongside Declan Rice or as a lone defensive midfielder if Rice is left on the bench due to fitness reasons.
Last season, Guimaraes missed a crucial part of the campaign with a hamstring injury for the Magpies, but the Brazilian still stood out with 15 goal contributions in the Premier League.
The 28-year-old also impressed defensively with five duels and two tackles won per game, with four recoveries. He also had a superb World Cup for Brazil, with four assists.
We feel an £80-85m deal is worth the risk for his all-round attributes.
Stats from Sofascore & Transfermarkt