Arsenal close in on Bruno Guimaraes
Arsenal are closing in on the signing of Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle as they look to land their biggest coup of the summer so far. The Premier League champions are already favourites to defend their title and have gone after proven talent with the Brazilian set to move for £75million.
It became clear weeks ago that Guimaraes wanted out of St James' Park and had cited Arsenal as his ideal destination. Bolstering midfield was not necessarily a priority at the Emirates, but when a player of his quality became available a swoop was always on the cards.
Declan Rice is the only guaranteed starter in the Arsenal midfield, leaving Mikel Arteta to fit pieces of the jigsaw around him. Guimaraes has been the driving force behind Newcastle's rise - and the club were linked with him when he moved to England from Lyon back in 2022.
The 29-year-old will battle with the likes of Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi for a starting role, whilst Arsenal could equally look to play with a flat three, as opposed to two sitting and one playmaker. Zubimendi and Guimaraes have shown themselves more than capable of picking passes between the lines and stretching defences.
One man who may well suffer a knock-on effect should Guimaraes head south is Martin Odegaard. Once the team's unchallenged playmaker, the Norwegian has seen more and more individuals join who can challenge him for his spot. He was injured for periods last term but he may not enjoy the untouchable status he once did.
Arsenal, in the wake of their Champions League final loss, where they were dominated from a footballing point of view, were urged to add more quality in the final third. They could yet bring in one of the world's best as they continue to track Vinicius Junior's situation at Real Madrid.
The winger is about to enter the final year of his contract at the Bernabeu and Los Blancos want to avoid losing him for nothing. Their negotiations centre on the player's image rights and where he sits in the financial pecking order. Vinicius wants to earn the same as Kylian Mbappe, Real's top earner, but the club are reluctant to do so - and Arsenal could yet swoop in as reports claim they would make him the Premier League's highest-ever earner.
That would see him pocket weekly wages that are north of £500,000-a-week.
Such an investment would see Vinicius go straight in on Arsenal's left side with Bukayo Saka still the team's main man on the right, even if his form has dropped off over the last 12 months. The central figure of their attack remains an issue, despite the £64m investment they made in Viktor Gyokeres last summer.
The Swede scored 20 times in his debut season but question marks remain and he was ultimately left out for the Champions League final against PSG. Kai Havertz, who scored that night in Budapest, was picked instead and whilst the German links play better than anyone in the Arsenal side, his lack of goals have been cited as an issue when compared to some of Europe's heavyweights.
It leaves Arteta with a decision on who to back - or whether to dip back into the market.
Arsenal's frontline is already heavily congested with Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli, Eberechi Eze, new signing Christos Tzolis and academy graduate Ethan Nwaneri all eyeing minutes. The latter was forced to head out on loan last term after being continually overlooked.
Defensively Arsenal remain one of Europe's best - if not the best. Their world class centre-half pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba has been the cornerstone of their rise in recent years, although the Frenchman will spend a period on the sidelines, leaving someone to fill the void initially.
Piero Hincapie was signed permanently this summer and has impressed at left-back whilst Jurrien Timber, when fit, is perhaps the most versatile defender in the team and equally impressive at centre-half or on either flank.
David Raya, off the back of having to accept not being Spain's No 1, continues to prove himself as one of the world's best for Arsenal. The club have signed Illan Meslier to serve as a back-up option.
Earlier coverage has also linked Arsenal's summer plans to more blockbuster business, with the club already discussed in relation to further elite additions as Mikel Arteta looks to build on the moves they have targeted in this window. Their push for proven quality has been a recurring theme, and the latest developments around Guimaraes and Vinicius Junior fit that pattern.
Arsenal would likely have to shell out £200m in order to land Bruno Guimaraes and Vinicius Jnr.
Arsenal's dream XI after Bruno Guimaraes and Julian Alvarez moves explored the club's plans after landing Illan Meslier and Christos Tzolis, while a later update said Arsenal were closing in on Bruno Guimaraes as Christian Norgaard completed a medical at Everton ahead of his £7m move from north London.
Arsenal transfer update: Bruno Guimaraes moves closer as Christian Norgaard completes medical followed that with more detail on the £75million deal for the Brazilian, who was determined to leave Newcastle and expected the fee to be paid in full up front.
Arsenal eye Vinicius Jr, Julian Alvarez and Bruno Guimaraes in late-window push also linked Arsenal with Vinicius Junior, Julian Alvarez and Bruno Guimaraes, while reports mentioned Ferran Torres as Mikel Arteta sought further elite depth before September 1.
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