Arsenal agree £75m fee for Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes
Arsenal has reached an agreement with Newcastle for the transfer of their captain, Bruno Guimaraes. The agreed fee for the Brazilian midfielder is £75m. Guimaraes has been granted permission to travel for a medical examination.
Guimaraes had previously informed Newcastle management earlier in the summer of his desire to join Arsenal, should a suitable offer be made. While Arsenal‘s initial bid was rejected, the 28-year-old now appears poised to join the club.
Guimaraes’ Impact and Contract Status
Guimaraes joined Newcastle in 2022 from Lyon for £40m. During his time at St James’ Park, he made 195 appearances and scored 31 goals. He currently has two years remaining on his contract, along with a club-held option for a third year.
Newcastle had expressed a strong desire to retain Guimaraes. However, if this transfer proceeds, the club will have generated over £240m from player sales this summer. Other significant departures from Newcastle include Anthony Gordon, who moved to Barcelona in a £69.3m deal, and Sandro Tonali, who signed with Spurs for £100m. Manager Eddie Howe also left the club during what has been described as a turbulent summer.
According to reports, Newcastle was insistent on their valuation for Guimaraes, stating they would only sell him for a fee that would rank among the highest paid for a player aged 28 or older. The deal was contingent on Guimaraes expressing his desire to leave, which he reportedly did respectfully, and Newcastle selling on their own terms, similar to the transfers of Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon.
Newcastle also required the situation to be handled appropriately, citing Guimaraes’ attendance at their training camp in Spain as an example of his compliance with their demands. The club reportedly felt that Arsenal extended the transfer process by not contacting them for several weeks, despite initial mentions of a deal worth between £40m and £45m in June.
Arsenal’s Midfield Strategy
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta indicated after the club’s Premier League title win that ambition would be key to building on their success. The club’s move to sign Guimaraes is seen as a step towards achieving this goal, with the aim of creating a strong midfield.
Arteta has shown a preference for signing players with Premier League experience who have demonstrated their ability to perform at a high level. Guimaraes’ addition is expected to contribute to Arsenal‘s readiness to compete across multiple competitions, especially considering the team’s injury concerns last season.
The Arsenal midfield currently includes players such as Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, captain Martin Odegaard, Eberechi Eze, Mikel Merino, and Myles Lewis-Skelly. Christian Norgaard, who was brought in last summer, is reportedly set to move to Everton after making limited appearances for Arsenal.
Guimaraes has been a significant figure for Newcastle, missing only 16 Premier League games since joining in 2022. Data indicates that Newcastle‘s win percentage, points per game, average goals scored, and average goals conceded were all higher when Guimaraes featured in the top flight. He was Newcastle‘s top scorer in the league last season with nine goals and provided four assists for Brazil at the World Cup in his five starts.
Despite missing six games due to a hamstring injury towards the end of last season, Guimaraes was among the top players in the league for defensive line-breaking passes, with 46, and through balls, with 21. He also led Newcastle in passes under high intensity pressure, with 998.
The addition of Guimaraes is viewed as a significant acquisition for Arsenal, enhancing their midfield options and potentially allowing Declan Rice to have periods of rest after his demanding schedule last season, which included helping England reach the semi-finals of a World Cup campaign.
Source: skysports.com
