NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - JANUARY 13: Bruno Guimaraes of Newcastle Unitedduring the Carabao Cup Semi Final First Leg match between Newcastle United and Manchester City at St James’ Park on January 13, 2026 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
For weeks, Newcastle United insisted they had no intention of losing another cornerstone of the squad as Arsenal continued circling one of the club’s biggest stars. Negotiations dragged on through rejected bids, conflicting reports and growing uncertainty, with the saga becoming one of the defining stories of the summer. That standoff now appears to have reached its conclusion.
According to Chronicle Live’s Lee Ryder, Newcastle and Arsenal have reached a breakthrough in negotiations, putting Bruno Guimaraes on the verge of leaving St. James’ Park on his way to London.
“Newcastle United look set to confirm a £75million deal with Arsenal for captain Bruno Guimaraes after finally agreeing to end the transfer saga,” Ryder reported.
With that, Newcastle are finally ready to part ways with their captain after the midfielder made it clear he wanted to complete the move to North London early in the summer.
Ryder confirmed that Bruno spent time with new head coach Matthias Jaissle and club officials after joining the squad in La Manga, but maintained his desire to join Arsenal and never really engaged with his new boss and former teammates.
“Newcastle’s stance has always been that they don’t want to sell their captain,” Ryder wrote. “However, they also want players who are committed to the club. Bruno did not want to discuss a new contract and his verdict was he wanted the move to North London.”
The report also sheds new light on how negotiations unfolded. According to Ryder, Arsenal initially valued Guimaraes far below Newcastle’s asking price, and ultimately got him for a fairly low fee compared to what some from Newcastle’s side initially reported, with a clear lowball strategy paying off for the Premier League champions.
“It is understood that a series of verbal offers were turned down and that Arsenal’s original valuation and first ‘bid’ for Bruno was a paltry £45m with £10m add-ons,” Ryder reported.
In any case, the sale will represent a significant profit on the £38 million Newcastle paid Lyon in 2022 and immediately provide funds to reshape the squad, now without any excuse.
How would you rate Newcastle’s handling of the Bruno saga? Was securing a guaranteed £75 million the right outcome, should the club have held out for more, or simply refuse to sell the team’s captain at all? Share your thoughts with the Coming Home Newcastle community in the comments section below!