Arsenal closing in on Bruno Guimaraes as Howe exit shakes Newcastle

Arsenal are closing in on a deal to sign Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United, with reports on Friday suggesting the two clubs are nearing agreement on a fee of between £75m and £80m for the Magpies captain.

The move has been one of the summer’s longest-running sagas, with Arsenal previously working largely through intermediaries rather than direct club-to-club talks. Progress is now understood to have accelerated, with growing confidence at the Emirates that a deal can be finalised.

Fee falls short of Newcastle’s original demand

Newcastle had initially been holding out for a fee in the region of £92m — comparable to Sandro Tonali’s move to Tottenham — but reports indicate the Tyneside club are now prepared to accept significantly less, with a figure closer to £75m-£80m said to be close to being agreed.

Should the deal go through, the 28-year-old would become Arsenal’s latest arrival of the window, joining Illan Meslier and Christos Tzolis through the door at north London. The Gunners have long regarded Guimaraes as their priority midfield target, tracking him since his days at Lyon before his move to Newcastle.

Howe’s shock departure adds new dimension

The transfer picture was complicated on Thursday when Eddie Howe announced he was leaving Newcastle, news that appears not to have altered Guimaraes’ desire to join Arsenal despite his close bond with the outgoing head coach.

Guimaraes spoke glowingly of Howe last year, saying: “It’s tough to describe what a fabulous human being he is. You’d have to work with him on a daily basis to get the full picture of what I’m talking about. He is by far the best European coach I’ve had. No doubt he’ll be England manager one day. As a person, he’s a sensation – a true legend.”

Howe, for his part, had continued to speak warmly of his captain throughout the transfer speculation this summer. “I’ve had some really good conversations with him before the World Cup, during the World Cup and after the World Cup,” Howe said. “What we speak about has to remain private, but he’s just a great player, a great person.”

It has been suggested that Howe’s belief that Newcastle were prepared to sell Guimaraes played a part in his decision to leave the club, coming on top of already losing Tonali and Anthony Gordon earlier in the window.

What happens next

Guimaraes is due to report back for pre-season training on Friday and is expected to be involved in Newcastle’s training camp regardless of the ongoing transfer talk, with the club yet to confirm any agreement has been reached.

For Arsenal, landing a player of Guimaraes’ calibre would represent a significant statement of intent as they look to strengthen their midfield options for the season ahead. Newcastle fans, meanwhile, face the prospect of losing both their captain and their manager within days of each other, a period of upheaval that will test the resolve of a club that has enjoyed a period of stability under Howe.

Sources

• Sky Sports
• Evening Standard

This is an independent report written from the facts across the sources named above.