Arsenal are now holding talks to sign the £100m “machine”.

If Arsenal were to lose out to Manchester City in the race for Declan Rice in 2023, it’s fair to say that Mikel Arteta’s side might not be celebrating their Premier League title this summer.

But the Gunners have completed a £105m deal for the England international, who has been identified as a top talent and has gone on to cement his position as “the best ever”, according to statistician Statman Dave.

Now, Rice is a Premier League champion, one of the top stars in the division in the 2024/25 campaign. It’s fair to say that that big-money move was worth the effort and expense, and now, Arteta may want to repeat the trick with Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes.

Arsenal are in talks to sign a number of Premier League midfielders

Guimaraes, 28, is one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, who has cemented his world-class reputation now by producing impressive performances for Brazil at the World Cup.

This week, Arsenal’s technical director Andrea Berta saw a £60m offer rejected for the Magpies captain, which has been put forward by the player’s representatives.

Arsenal have yet to make an official move, but interest is high, having returned with improved conditions to see if a deal can be done. It will be tricky, however, and Berta and Arteta understand this, in another interesting combination.

According to BBC reporter Sami Mokbel, Arsenal are also in talks with representatives of Sandro Tonali, Guimaraes’ dance partner in St. James’ Park. Tonali, 26, could pay a fee of around £100m, matching Newcastle’s demands for their captain.

Tottenham have already seen two bids rejected, coming in at around £80m, and while they appear to be in the driving seat for the Italian midfielder, he is said to prefer a move to Arsenal, should Berta rekindle their interest.

Why would Tonali be a better player than Guimaraes for Arsenal

If Arsenal end up with Guimaraes to strengthen their midfield, it wouldn’t be a bad thing, but while he may not be as exciting, Tonali could end up being a better signing for the Londoners.

The Italian played a major role in Newcastle’s transformation under Eddie Howe, covering multiple areas in each game and cleverly combining defensive and attacking players. He’s an orchestrator, and he might mesh seamlessly with Rice at Arsenal’s centre.

Furthermore, Tonali is almost three years younger than Guimaraes, so while the Brazilian star may have more stock, Arsenal will get more for the 26-year-old, with both players priced in the same range.

Guimaraes has improved a lot, and is a big threat in the final third, but that is not part of Tonali’s wheelhouse, and his patient approach and his calculating approach in the middle game could work in Arsenal’s favor, freeing Rice and providing the protection an attacking midfielder like Martin Odegaard or Eberechi Eze needs to steal the titles. Everyone has a different part to play on a football team, after all.

Tonali are more comfortable than Guimaraes in midfield. On the outside, he is not much stronger than his Brazilian counterpart. But make no mistake, his energy and ability to win the ball have been instrumental in establishing Newcastle as a title-winning and Champions League-contending outfit, and he has been hailed as a “pressing machine” on Tyneside by journalist Andy Sixsmith.

Power and speed and physicality are all important parts of Tonali’s skill set. He may not have the playmaking ability of Guimaraes, but the Italian champion can pass the ball, and he does so with a flair that could make a huge difference to Arsenal, alongside Rice, who created 17 big chances in the Premier League last term.

Arsenal are now regarded as one of the best teams in England. They are no longer hunters, but rather, they have become hunters. Staying ahead of the chasing pack, signing someone like Tonali could help them defend their title – not just next season, but over the course of the season.

Guimaraes is one of the best in the business, but he turns 30 in less than a year-and-a-half, and Tonali’s life could show more wisdom and intelligence in an Arsenal side that is already firing on many cylinders.