New Rice Role, Star Player Dropped: How Arsenal Could Line Up With Bruno Guimaraes

It appears increasingly likely that Bruno Guimarães could soon become an Arsenal player.

Bruno Guimarães can operate in a number of different roles. | Stu Forster/Getty Images

While nothing has been finalized yet, all indications suggest Bruno Guimarães is edging closer to becoming an Arsenal player.

The Gunners are understood to have already seen two bids rejected by Newcastle United but remain determined to land the Brazilian, with reports claiming they are now willing to pay around $107.5 million (£80 million). After initially testing Newcastle’s resolve with lower offers, Arsenal are now said to be increasingly confident of reaching an agreement.

Guimarães is also believed to be eager to make the move to North London and, notably, has not traveled with Newcastle’s squad for its preseason training camp in Spain—only adding to speculation that a transfer is imminent.

Should the deal go through, Mikel Arteta would be acquiring one of the Premier League’s most complete midfielders. Comfortable as a holding midfielder, a creative playmaker or, most naturally, a box-to-box engine, Guimarães offers the tactical flexibility to fill several different roles.

With that in mind, here are two ways Arsenal could line up with Guimarães in the side.

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Guimaraes Alongside Rice

Bruno Guimarães could sit alongside Declan Rice. | FotMob

Arsenal spent the majority of their 2025–26 Premier League title-winning campaign using a 4-2-3-1 system, with two holding midfielders—usually Declan Rice and Martín Zubimendi—behind a traditional No. 10, flanked by two wingers and behind a lone striker.

Rice is virtually undroppable when fit, meaning if Bruno Guimarães is to slot into Mikel Arteta’s preferred setup, it would most likely be Zubimendi making way—even after an excellent debut season at the Emirates.

On paper, the switch makes sense. Guimarães spent much of last season operating in a midfield two alongside Sandro Tonali at Newcastle, but with the freedom to push higher up the pitch, influence attacks and burst into the penalty area, finishing the campaign with nine Premier League goals and six assists.

The issue, however, is that Rice also likes to drive forward, while Arteta is unlikely to want to sideline Zubimendi given how important he became last season. As a result, this setup feels possible—but perhaps not the most likely.

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Guimaraes, Zubimendi and Rice

That is some midfield three. | FotMob

As mentioned, Zubimendi was outstanding in his debut Arsenal season. Calm and composed in possession, press-resistant and consistently progressive with his passing, his deep-lying role became a major reason why the Gunners were so effective at breaking down stubborn opposition.

Because of that, it is difficult to imagine Arteta simply removing him from the team. Instead, the more likely solution could be eliminating the traditional No. 10 role altogether.

Arteta will still want to maintain width through players such as Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka, with Noni Madueke and new signing Christos Tzolis also providing alternatives. That could mean the biggest casualty is the attacking midfield position—and therefore club captain Martin Ødegaard’s place in the starting XI.

Dropping your captain would be a bold decision, but Ødegaard’s attacking influence has noticeably declined over the past two seasons. Last year, he managed just one goal and seven assists in 24 appearances, often struggling to produce the creative spark that once made him one of the Premier League’s most dangerous playmakers.

By comparison, Guimarães contributed nine Premier League goals and six assists, Zubimendi added five goals and one assist, while Rice recorded four goals and seven assists. Those numbers suggest Arsenal would not necessarily lose attacking output by replacing Ødegaard with Guimarães and forming a midfield three.

Of all the potential solutions, this feels like the route Arteta is most likely to take.

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