Reuters/Matthew Childs
Arsenal finally ended their long pursuit of Bruno Guimarães earlier this month, completing a £75 million move for the former Newcastle United captain.
The deal brought together a club and player who had been linked on several occasions.
REUTERS/Scott Heppell
Arsenal first monitored Guimaraes while he was developing in Brazil and later considered him at Lyon, only for Newcastle to secure his signature in January 2022.
Their interest returned this summer as Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta looked to strengthen an already crowded midfield.
Guimaraes had two years remaining on his Newcastle contract, plus an additional club option, leaving the Magpies in a strong negotiating position.
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Newcastle were also determined to avoid losing another senior figure after Anthony Gordon joined Barcelona and Sandro Tonali moved to Tottenham.
Early approaches through intermediaries failed to change their stance, and while Guimaraes made it clear that he wanted the Arsenal move, he continued training and reported for Newcastle’s preseason camp in Spain.
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That respectful approach prevented the situation from becoming another bitter standoff like Alexander Isak’s departure for Liverpool one year earlier.
A formal bid worth around £70 million was rejected at the beginning of August. Newcastle wanted closer to £80 million, but the clubs eventually settled on £75 million after further negotiations.
Reuters/Matthew Childs
The Brazilian signed a four-year contract with an option for another season and kept his familiar number 39 shirt. He joined a star-studded midfield already containing Declan Rice, Martín Zubimendi, Mikel Merino and Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Guimaraes then made his Arsenal debut in the Community Shield against Man City, starting in the holding role as the Premier League champions won 3-0, but was replaced by Rice at halftime and later appeared on the bench with ice around his right thigh.
That promising start has now been followed by an early fitness concern.
How long Bruno Guimarães will be out for after Arsenal injury blow
Reuters/Matthew Childs
Telegraph journalist Luke Edwards reports that Guimaraes has suffered an 'untimely' injury at the beginning of his Arsenal career and could be unavailable for weeks.
The exact nature of the problem has not yet been confirmed, and Arsenal have also not provided a firm recovery schedule, meaning it remains unclear when the 28-year-old will return.
The timing means he will miss tonight's Premier League opener against promoted Coventry City at the Emirates Stadium.
Arteta had offered an encouraging update on Thursday, saying the midfielder was progressing well after his withdrawal against City.
Edwards’ information, however, indicates the issue may keep him out for longer than Arsenal initially hoped.
Guimaraes could also be ruled out of Arsenal's clashes against Aston Villa, Chelsea and Sunderland if he is indeed absent for weeks.
Arsenal’s Champions League campaign begins in September, adding further games to their schedule that Guimaraes may miss.
Arsenal will wait for a clearer diagnosis before putting a timescale on Guimaraes’ return. After a lengthy battle to sign him, his full Premier League debut for them may now be significantly delayed.