Arsenal are prepared to hold a fresh round of discussions with Newcastle United regarding midfielder Bruno Guimaraes next week, according to respected journalist Fabrizio Romano.
The Gunners are determined to land a marquee midfielder this summer and they have earmarked Guimaraes as the priority target. Arsenal are preparing an offer worth £70 million for the Brazilian, and Romano claims that the club are poised to hold ‘direct negotiations’ with the Magpies next week to find a suitable agreement.
Personal terms have already been agreed with the 28-year-old. The former Lyon man is reportedly the ‘perfect midfielder’ for manager Mikel Arteta. Romano said on his YouTube channel: “Arsenal are expected to return to the table next week for Bruno Guimaraes.
“Mikel Arteta considers Bruno a top priority. So Arsenal are expected to be back in direct negotiations with Newcastle. It is going to be an important week of new contacts. The player has already agreed personal terms with Arsenal. He is viewed as the perfect midfielder for Mikel Arteta; Arsenal are not giving up.”
Crucial week
The Gunners have placed their prime priority on landing Guimaraes as their marquee midfield signing, but they can’t afford to drag the transfer saga much longer. They were recently in pole position to sign Aston Villa winger Morgan Rogers, only for Chelsea to beat them to his signature. The Blues paid a club-record £117 million, which Arsenal were unwilling to match.
Arsenal don’t face direct competition for Guimaraes at the moment, but the scenario could change, suppose Manchester City were to lose Rodri, who is on the radar of Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. Hence, they have to speed up negotiations with the Magpies and the upcoming week could be crucial to securing a suitable agreement for Guimaraes.
Guimaraes, described as ‘very special‘ by Magpies head coach Eddie Howe, would be a sublime acquisition for the Gunners. He was hampered by a hamstring injury in the second half of last season, but still managed 15 goal contributions in the league. He was also impressive with his defensive contributions during the top-flight campaign.
Operating as a defensive midfielder, Guimaraes won 6 duels and 2 tackles per game with almost 5 recoveries. He will be 29 in November this year but has shown no signs of regression. Arsenal could see their next bid rejected, as per Romano, but a deal could still be agreed for a package of £80m, in our opinion, given how the midfielder has conducted himself at the Magpies unlike Alexander Isak, who pushed through an exit to Liverpool last summer.
