Arsenal ‘Ramp Up’ Bruno Guimaraes Pursuit With Third Offer—But It Comes With a Risk

The Brazilian midfielder is the latest Newcastle star looking for a fresh start elsewhere.

It’s no secret Bruno Guimarães wants to join Arsenal. | Stu Forster/Getty Images

Arsenal are reportedly hoping to close the deal for Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimarães in the coming days, even if they have to up their bid to £80 million ($107.5 million).

The Gunners have stolen recent headlines for their opportunistic interest in Real Madrid winger Vinícius Júnior, but they also remain focused on bringing Guimarães to north London. Arsenal already saw offers for £55 million ($73 million) and £70 million ($93.2 million) turned away by the Magpies, but that is not stopping the defending Premier League champions.

BBC Sport report Arsenal are “increasingly confident” of signing Guimarães this summer. The club knows it must submit an improved offer, and is “aiming” to get a deal over the line sooner rather than later, even if it reaches £80 million.

It’s no secret Guimarães wants to don a red shirt next season, and his desire is likely even higher now that Eddie Howe has reportedly stepped down from his post in Newcastle.

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How Howe’s Departure Impacts Guimarães’s Future

Eddie Howe (left) and Bruno Guimarães have a strong relationship. | Ryan Crockett/DeFodi Images/DeFodi/Getty Images

News broke of Howe’s departure on Thursday, less than 24 hours after Newcastle suffered a 4–1 defeat to Championship side Bristol City in a preseason friendly. Reports claim the manager was ultimately unhappy with the club’s summer transfer window, which saw him lose Anthony Gordon to Barcelona and Sandro Tonali to Tottenham Hotspur.

The two blows came one summer after star striker Alexander Isak left for Liverpool. Now, Guimarães is seemingly the next name on a growing list of exits from St James’ Park.

According to BBC Sport, Guimarães’s move to Arsenal is not connected to Howe’s departure. After all, the wheels were in motion long before the Englishman decided his time was up with the Magpies.

Still, the sudden exit and expected arrival of new manager Matthias Jaissle throws Newcastle even more into uncertainty. Combined with a poor 12th-place finish in the Premier League last season, there is not much left keeping Guimarães in black and white, especially when the defending champions are knocking at his door.

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Arsenal Might Have to Compromise Their Transfer Strategy

Mikel Arteta has welcomed few new arrivals this summer. | Shaun Brooks-CameraSport/Getty Images

While fellow Premier League giants splash cash to improve their squads, Arsenal have remained quite conservative this summer. Piero Hincapié completed a permanent move to the Emirates from Bayer Leverkusen, goalkeeper Illan Meslier joined as a free agent and Christos Tzolis made the move from Club Brugge for £34 million ($45.4 million).

The three moves hardly broke the bank, something the Gunners had previously seemed unwilling to do, even if it meant backing away from some of the biggest names on the market. The club refused to meet Aston Villa’s demands for Morgan Rogers, allowing Chelsea to swoop in with a record-breaking $157 million (£117 million) offer.

Arsenal also cooled off their Julián Alvarez pursuit, leaving Barcelona to battle it out with Atlético Madrid for the forward. Not to mention they initially only bid £55 million ($74 million) for Guimarães, who is reportedly valued around £93 million ($124 million) by Newcastle.

Yet suddenly the English champions are willing to shell out around £80 million to bring a 28-year-old midfielder into an already very crowded engine room—and that’s if Newcastle accept an offer below their asking price.

It’s a risky move from Arsenal, who likely would be better off spending such a large sum on a proven, elite forward to help bolster a rather underwhelming attack instead of adding another midfielder to join the likes of Martin Ødegaard, Martín Zubimendi, Declan Rice, Mikel Merino, Eberechi Eze, Ethan Nwaneri and Christian Nørgaard.

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