Arsenal’s summer of ambition has hit its first roadblock. The Premier League champions, buoyed by ending a 22-year title drought in May, saw a £45m intermediary offer for Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes rejected, according to Chronicle Live.
Mikel Arteta’s side finally lifted the trophy last season, but the celebrations were tempered by a Champions League final defeat on penalties to Paris Saint-Germain. Determined to go one better, the Spaniard has been promised heavy backing by sporting director Andrea Berta, who was handed a transfer war chest of around £250m. The first permanent signing of the summer, Piero Hincapie, has already arrived from Bayer Leverkusen for £34.5m.
“Arsenal have a £45m offer for Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes rejected, with no release clause and a possible contract extension”
Strengthening midfield is a priority, and Guimaraes – who provided the winning assist for Brazil in their World Cup round-of-32 victory over Japan on Tuesday – emerged as a leading target. However, Newcastle are in no mood to sell. Reports suggesting a £60m release clause in the 28-year-old’s contract were swiftly dismissed, with sources on Tyneside insisting no such clause exists.
To make matters worse for Arsenal, the Magpies hold an option to extend Guimaraes’ current deal by a further 12 months, reports Shields Gazette. If activated, the clause would tie the Brazil international to St James’ Park until the summer of 2029, strengthening Newcastle’s negotiating position and making any move to north London even trickier.
If Arteta fails to prise Guimaraes away from St James’ Park, attention could turn to Lille starlet Ayyoub Bouaddi. The 18-year-old Moroccan has enhanced his growing reputation with a string of eye-catching displays in midfield at the World Cup. But with Newcastle holding all the cards, Arsenal may be forced to look elsewhere.