Arsenal Secures Guimarães for £75M

Midfield Duo Complete: Guimarães Joins Arsenal Alongside Declan Rice

[Sports Chosun Park Chan-jun Reporter] Ultimately, Arsenal secures Bruno Guimarães.

On August 5 (Korean time), the BBC reported, 'Arsenal is set to finalize the signing of Guimarães.' It added, 'All agreements are nearly complete,' and 'Guimarães is awaiting club permission to leave Newcastle's training camp in La Manga, Spain, and complete the transfer process at Emirates Stadium.'

The same day, Diario AS also reported, 'Newcastle has approved Guimarães' transfer to Arsenal.' It added, 'Arsenal and Newcastle reached an agreement after negotiations. The transfer fee is 75 million pounds.'

European football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano also reported, 'Arsenal has agreed to sign Guimarães from Newcastle. The transfer fee is 75 million pounds (approximately 144 billion Korean won), and a medical test is scheduled. Personal agreements were finalized earlier.'

Guimarães is one of the Premier League's top midfielders. After joining Newcastle from Lyon in 2022, he established himself as a key midfielder with exceptional technique and flair. Hailing from Brazil, he excels at ball retention and delivers precise forward passes. As a defensive midfielder, he maintains high work rates and strong defensive skills. He also penetrates the box directly or scores with outstanding kicking ability. He possesses a strong competitive spirit. Contributing to Newcastle's Football League Cup victory in the 2024-2025 season, Guimarães recorded 9 goals and 7 assists last season, solidifying his status as a complete midfielder.

He has also expanded his role in the Brazilian national team. After representing youth teams, he participated in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the 2022 Qatar World Cup, and the 2026 North America World Cup. Notably, he provided 4 assists in 5 matches at the 2026 World Cup. However, he missed a penalty in the Round of 16 against Norway, becoming a scapegoat for the team's defeat.

Arsenal, which won the EPL title last season, chose Guimarães as a key move to achieve back-to-back league titles and the UEFA Champions League. Last season, Arsenal built their midfield around Declan Rice, Martin Ødegaard, and Jorginho, but struggled due to Ødegaard's injury and Jorginho's decline. In the final stretch, they even used Miles Lewis-Skelly as Rice's partner. Arsenal aims to create the strongest midfield duo by signing Guimarães.

Negotiations initially progressed swiftly. Bruno Andrade, a top Brazilian journalist, reported via Brazil's 'ESPN,' 'Arsenal finalized Guimarães' signing on Friday night (31st).' The transfer fee reaches up to 80 million pounds. ESPN added, 'Arsenal accepted a fixed fee of 70 million pounds plus a 10 million pound bonus,' and 'the contract is expected to be finalized in London this weekend.'

The previous day, the BBC also cited multiple sources, stating, 'Expectations are growing that Guimarães will transfer to Arsenal this summer,' and 'Arsenal is increasingly confident about finalizing the deal.'

European transfer expert Fabrizio Romano joined the reports. He posted on his SNS, 'Guimarães' move to Arsenal is very close. The green light is imminent.' He added, 'Newcastle has internally accepted Guimarães leaving the club.'

The key issue was the transfer fee. Arsenal offered 70 million pounds, but Newcastle initially rejected it. Newcastle sent key players Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali to Barcelona and Tottenham, respectively, this summer. Having secured sufficient profits, they had no urgent need to sell Guimarães. New manager Matthias Jaissle, who succeeded Eddie Howe, wanted to work with Guimarães.

After returning from World Cup leave, Guimarães joined Newcastle's training camp in Spain instead of heading to London for a medical. However, he clearly expressed his intention to join Arsenal. The two clubs quickly finalized details, and the transfer is expected to conclude once Guimarães completes the final steps in London.

Newcastle has already signed Ajax's prospect Sean Stewart and AS Monaco's Alhassane Bambara as replacements for Guimarães. They also aim to bring Tottenham's stylish midfielder Lucas Bergvall.

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Orijinal haber: https://www.chosun.com/english/sports-en/2026/08/06/PDPJ4ENTABFRZK7GNPGLRGWFRE/