Mikel Arteta responded with a wry smile when asked about Bruno Guimarães after Arsenal reportedly agreed a £75m deal with Newcastle.
Asked directly about the Newcastle United captain in the aftermath of Arsenal’s defeat to Real Betis, Mikel Arteta was quick to play down talk of a move for Bruno Guimarães, his response laced with a hint of humour.
Earlier on Wednesday, reports suggested the Gunners had reached a £75 million agreement for the Brazil international, with Guimarães given the green light to head to London for a medical. Even so, the deal is not over the line just yet, and until the final details are sorted, he remains a Newcastle player.
After Arsenal’s 3-1 pre-season defeat to Betis in Dublin, Arteta faced questions from Premier Sports about whether the news was already confirmed.
Responding with a wry smile, the Arsenal manager said: “I cannot talk about any news. You guys are sometimes faster than me. I’ve been involved in the match, so I don’t know what’s happening.”
The interviewer then suggested Guimarães would be a good addition to the Arsenal squad, but Arteta maintained the club’s usual position on players contracted elsewhere.
“I cannot talk about any player that is not an Arsenal player,” he added.
Arteta’s tone was lighter than his words alone might suggest, especially when he joked about reporters being ahead of him. Still, he gave nothing away about whether the deal was actually done.
Arsenal are believed to have struck a deal with Newcastle, and Guimarães has apparently been allowed to leave the Magpies’ training camp in Spain for a medical in north London. Even so, both clubs still have boxes to tick before anything can be made official.
If it goes through, the 28-year-old would be the latest big name to join a squad gearing up to defend their Premier League title.
Since arriving from Lyon in January 2022, Guimarães has racked up 153 league appearances for Newcastle, growing into their captain and the heartbeat of their midfield. He was central to their Champions League qualification and played a key part in lifting the Carabao Cup in 2025.
Should the move go through, Arteta would have another experienced option to call on in midfield, joining the likes of Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, Martin Ødegaard, Mikel Merino and Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Bruno Guimarães’ duel strength, durability and growing goal output help explain why Arsenal are prepared to invest heavily in the Newcastle captain.roundtable.ioCould Bruno Guimarães Be Arsenal’s Missing Midfield Piece?
Bruno Guimarães’ duel strength, durability and growing goal output help explain why Arsenal are prepared to invest heavily in the Newcastle captain.
Guimarães is comfortable sitting deep or pushing forward as a number eight, giving Arsenal more flexibility in how they use Rice and Zubimendi. The fact he already knows the Premier League should help him settle in quickly, avoiding the usual teething problems that come with big-money signings from overseas.
The size of the fee says plenty about how much Newcastle wanted to keep him. Guimarães is tied down until 2028, with an option for another year, and Newcastle are said to have knocked back Arsenal’s first bid before finally accepting the improved £75m offer.
For Arteta, though, the immediate focus was on the pitch in Dublin, where defensive lapses saw Arsenal slip to their first pre-season defeat.
Even so, his reaction kept the Guimarães story alive in the post-match chatter. Arteta didn’t confirm anything, but the smile and his quip about the media being ahead of him gave the exchange a lighter feel than a straight denial.
Until the paperwork is done, the medical passed and the final agreement signed, don’t expect Arteta to say much more.
With Arsenal’s progress, official confirmation could come sooner rather than later. For now, though, Arteta is sticking to the usual script: Guimarães remains someone else’s player.