Bruno Guimarães has asked to leave Newcastle United, with the Brazil midfielder informing the club he wants to join Premier League champions Arsenal. The 28-year-old, who missed a penalty in Brazil’s World Cup last-16 defeat to Norway on Sunday, has his heart set on a move to north London after Arsenal held talks with his representatives last month. Newcastle have yet to receive any direct contact from Arsenal, but the Gunners are believed to be preparing an offer in the region of £60m.
Arsenal’s interest comes as they look to bolster their midfield, partly because of concerns over Declan Rice’s long-term fitness. Mikel Arteta’s side are also considering Bournemouth’s Alex Scott and Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi as alternatives. Should Guimarães arrive, it could lead to the sale of Denmark midfielder Christian Nørgaard, who started only one Premier League game last season. The club are also expected to allow Leandro Trossard to join Besiktas for £17m, while signing former Leeds goalkeeper Islan Meslier on a free transfer. Kepa Arrizabalaga is hoping to leave in search of regular playing time, with clubs in Italy and Spain interested.
“Bruno Guimarães tells Newcastle he wants to join Arsenal, who are preparing a £60m bid.”
Guimarães’s departure would represent another significant blow to Newcastle, who have already lost Sandro Tonali to Tottenham for an initial £92.5m and Anthony Gordon to Barcelona this summer. Alexander Isak left for Liverpool last year. The club are reluctant to lose their captain and talisman, who still has two years remaining on his contract. However, Newcastle are closing in on the signing of 18-year-old Ajax midfielder Sean Steur as a replacement for Tonali. Steur, who only signed a new Ajax contract last summer that expires in 2028, became a regular in the second half of last season and started in the De Klassieker win against Feyenoord aged 17. According to Opta, among midfielders aged 18 or younger in the Eredivisie, Steur ranked first for chances created (15), total carries (231) and duel success (56.8%).
The Gunners are also looking to strengthen their attack, with Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers their No 1 target. Villa are thought to want more than £100m for the England midfielder. Atlético Madrid’s Julián Álvarez is another option, although the Argentina forward would prefer to join Barcelona and could cost £130m.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe had previously dismissed rumours of Guimarães’s departure as “a nonsense story”, saying: “Bruno’s our captain, he’s fully committed.” But with the player now pushing for a move, the club face the prospect of losing another key figure as they rebuild with younger talent.