Arsenal are ready to pull out of a move for Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes after being misled about the transfer fee, according to reports. The Gunners had been led to believe by the Brazilian’s representatives that an offer of around £50m would be enough to prise him from St James’ Park, but Newcastle are demanding approximately £100m for the midfielder.
Guimaraes had intimated his wish to move to the red half of north London, four and a half years after he joined Newcastle from Lyon in January 2022. At his unveiling, he had declared the club could become bigger than Arsenal – a club he “could have signed for” according to the famous fans’ chant referenced on a top hat that sits in his home, emblazoned with “Bruno’s magic hat”.
“Arsenal pull out of Bruno Guimaraes move after being misled over Newcastle's £100m asking price.”
Now, however, Arsenal are unwilling to meet Newcastle’s valuation, especially after the Magpies have already sold Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon this summer. Tonali joined Tottenham Hotspur in a deal worth up to £100m, while Gordon completed a £69.3m move to Barcelona. Those sales, along with the departure of Alexander Isak in the past 12 months, have created headroom for Newcastle to spend within financial rules, but losing their captain would be a severe blow.
Season ticket holder Liam Phillips said he would be “absolutely devastated” if Guimaraes moves on, adding: “His departure would be very symbolic in terms of what it says about the trajectory of the project. Newcastle have lost Isak, Gordon and Tonali in the last 12 months. To lose Bruno would be very alarming.”
Opta data underlines Guimaraes’ importance: Newcastle’s win percentage drops from 50.7% with him to 12.5% without him, with points per game falling from 1.7 to 0.7. The club have won only two of the 16 Premier League matches he has missed since joining.
Former Newcastle owner Mehrdad Ghodoussi dismissed the Arsenal price claims as “utter nonsense”. Guimaraes remains a Newcastle player, with his contract running until 2028, plus an option for a further season. Manager Eddie Howe has denied rumours of a deal with Manchester United, saying: “It is totally disrespectful to Bruno. He is totally committed here.”
The question now is whether Guimaraes will push for a move or if Arsenal’s reluctance will force him to stay. Newcastle, having already lost three key players in a year, face a defining summer.
