Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali
Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali new arrivals at Arsenal and Tottenham this season
Paul Scholes has named which north London club has got the better deal this summer, after Tottenham Hotspur’s capture of Sandro Tonali and Arsenal’s recent acquisition of his former Newcastle teammate Bruno Guimaraes.
Brazilian midfielder Guimaraes was unveiled to Gunners fans at The Emirates on Sunday following his £75million switch, with Mikel Arteta identifying the 28-year-old as his top midfield target earlier in the summer.
Arteta certainly has high hopes for Guimaraes and believes the Brazil international can help take Arsenal to the “the next level”.
“I think he describes himself as a warrior,” Arteta said. “I think he’s a warrior with a tremendous quality as well and intuition and leadership and charisma that is going to help us.
“It is going to really ignite something different in the team. I’m delighted to have him.
“We see very clearly – especially the energy that he brought immediately to the training ground – the hunger, the desire to come here and create a big history at the club.”
Meanwhile, Tonali said it took him “just 10 minutes” to decide to join Tottenham in a record-breaking £100m deal for the club, after speaking to new Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi.
“Honestly, I spoke with another team [also],” Tonali admitted. “When you speak with a team, the first impression is a big thing and my impression was very positive.
“When you are happy after a 10-minute chat, it’s everything, everything is perfect. I understood after 10, 15 minutes that Tottenham would be my next team.”
DON’T MISS : Arsenal weigh up up £60m Premier League deal as rival takes control of Tottenham transfer race
Why Scholes rates Tonali as the ‘better player’
Scholes admits that he has never been blown away by Guimaraes, although the Man Utd legend insists he could “make Arsenal a better football team”, as they attempt to retain the Premier League trophy they won for the first time in more than 20 years last season.
“I think Bruno Guimaraes will make Arsenal a better football team,” Scholes said on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast.
“I don’t think the football we watched from them was great. You need midfield players to make your team play good football – is he going to do that enough for Arsenal?
“I know they won the league but I don’t think they got the midfield right last season.
“Maybe this is the answer to it but I do think Sandro Tonali is a better player, he’s got more legs about him.
“I don’t think Bruno is amazing physically but he might be more suited to Arsenal.”
TeamTalk