Arsenal have reached an agreement with Newcastle for the transfer of captain Bruno Guimaraes. The deal for the Brazilian midfielder is reported to be for a fee of £75m, and Guimaraes has been granted permission to travel for a medical examination.
Guimaraes had previously informed Newcastle management that he wished to join Arsenal should a suitable offer be made. This move comes after Arsenal‘s initial bid was rejected, but the 28-year-old is now expected to join the Premier League champions.
Guimaraes’ Impact and Arsenal’s Ambition
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expressed the need for ambition to build on the club’s recent success, which included a Premier League title win and reaching the Champions League final. The club believes that signing Guimaraes will help them achieve a “different dimension” in their performance.
Arteta has consistently sought players with Premier League experience who have demonstrated their ability to perform at the highest level. The addition of Guimaraes is seen as a step towards Arsenal‘s goal of assembling one of the top midfields in world football.
Several factors contributed to Arteta’s decision to pursue Guimaraes. Arsenal faced significant injury challenges last season, and the robustness of potential signings has been a key consideration, especially after a £250m expenditure in the previous summer transfer window. Arsenal played 63 games across all competitions last season and have since reorganised their medical department.
The previous season saw considerable demands placed on midfielders like Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice. Rice, who played the most minutes of any outfield player at Arsenal last season and helped England reach the semi-finals of a World Cup campaign, has been managing a hamstring issue. Guimaraes’ arrival is expected to maintain quality even if Arteta rotates his starting eleven, while also elevating the overall potential of the midfield.
Arteta is known for his demand for intensity in training. With Guimaraes joining a midfield that includes Rice, Zubimendi, captain Martin Odegaard, Eberechi Eze, Mikel Merino, Myles Lewis-Skelly, and Ethan Nwaneri, competition for places is expected to be high.
Why Arsenal Pursued Guimaraes
Arsenal‘s leadership group, which supports club captain Odegaard, will be further strengthened by Guimaraes, who is described as a natural leader. During his time at St James’ Park, Guimaraes became a talisman for Newcastle. His ability and his connection with supporters are seen as valuable assets for Arteta.
Injury has significantly impacted Arsenal‘s campaigns in the past. Guimaraes, however, has missed only 16 Premier League games since joining Newcastle in 2022. Data from Opta indicates that Newcastle‘s win percentage, points per game, average goals for, and average goals against were notably higher when Guimaraes featured. Specifically, Newcastle‘s win percentage was 50.7%, points per game 1.7, average goals for 1.9, and average goals against 1.3 with him in the team.
Conversely, without Guimaraes, Newcastle‘s win percentage dropped to 12.5%, points per game to 0.7, average goals for to 0.8, and average goals against increased to 1.6. Last season, Guimaraes was Newcastle‘s top scorer in the league with nine goals. He also 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 five players in the league for defensive line-breaking passes, with 46, and through balls, with 21. He also led Newcastle in passes made under high-intensity pressure, with 998, highlighting his willingness to take responsibility. Staff at Newcastle have described him as an “inspirational” figure.
Newcastle had aimed to keep Guimaraes, who has two years remaining on his contract plus a club option for a third. However, Guimaraes’ desire to seek a new challenge to win titles was a key factor in his potential departure. Newcastle insisted on their valuation for the player, similar to previous sales of Sandro Tonali to Spurs for £100m and Anthony Gordon to Barcelona for £69.3m. If the deal proceeds, Newcastle could accumulate over £240m from player sales this summer.
The transfer of Guimaraes is viewed as a significant statement by Arsenal, acquiring one of the Premier League‘s leading midfielders from a position of strength. His arrival is expected to enhance Arsenal‘s midfield options, potentially allowing Declan Rice to have more rest after his demanding previous season. Guimaraes joined Newcastle in 2022 from Lyon for £40m, making 195 appearances and scoring 31 goals for the club.
Source: bbc.co.uk