Arsenal have already sold their own Bruno Guimaraes for just £21m

After winning the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years, Arsenal have the opportunity to attract some of the best players in the world.

Although they had already managed to convince the likes of Declan Rice and Viktor Gyokeres to sign, it was felt that they needed a piece of big silverware to show up in transfer talks.

However, with that in mind, Mikel Arteta and Co attacked things hard as they continued to retain their crown.

Up front, Morgan Rogers is the mainstay in midfield, with plenty of options on Arsenal’s radar including Newcastle duo Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes.

Moroccan wonderkid Ayyoub Bouaddi is another option while Bournemouth’s Alex Scott is a favorite of the Gunners.

Of all, Guimaraes will be the largest of all signed statements.

Why Arsenal want to sign Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle

Last week it emerged that Arsenal have already opened preliminary discussions with Guimaraes representatives regarding a move to the Emirates Stadium.

A £55m bid was put towards Newcastle through intermediaries but the Toon have not attempted to hold talks over that price. The word is that the Brazilian player is not for sale but he only has two years left on his contract and the idea is that he will not renew it.

As a result, Arsenal have been given the incentive to open formal club-to-club talks in the coming weeks as they attempt to prize him away from St James’ Park.

So, why would it be the ceiling lifter that Arteta needs in the middle of the park? Well, I’m 28, this is a winning signing now. He’s the type of player you catch when you’re on top. Call it a Sir Alex Ferguson-type signing if you will.

On countless occasions, the decorated Scot would go and sign the best players in the Premier League. Arsenal will be taking a leaf out of his book in this regard.

Proven in England and captain of Newcastle, it’s clear why Arteta will want him. He won’t need much time, if any, to settle into his new position and is a player who can quickly take on leadership roles in the team.

That doesn’t mean you’ll need a captaincy from Martin Odegaard, but with him and Declan Rice in midfield, you could have two dogged warriors willing to do anything to win. Great people, there couldn’t be a more feared midfield duo in the entire Premier League.

He doesn’t just do the dirty work, though. Guimaraes scored nine goals and provided six assists in 29 league games last season. You name it, Bruno can do it.

That said, did Arsenal already have the same player during Arteta’s tenure?

Arsenal have already sold their own Bruno Guimaraes

Ever since the aforementioned Rice arrived at the Emirates in the summer of 2023, it sounds like Arteta has been looking for solutions in his midfield trio.

Yes, the club record man has been a constant presence in the middle of the park but his teammates have not always been convincing.

Rice first teamed up with Thomas Partey and then established a good relationship with Martin Zubimendi last season. However, that happened until the Spaniard’s performances began to decline. No other Arsenal players played more minutes than the midfield duo in 2025/26. Zubimendi looked naughty when it was all said and done.

That window in 2023 was actually deciding on all of this. Of course Rice has arrived, but a certain Granit Xhaka, Arsenal’s Guimaraes, has left, joining Bayer Leverkusen for just £21m.

Truth be told, the Swiss outing in north London was amazing. Finally, Arsene Wenger’s signing managed to win the favor of Arsenal fans around the world after a fantastic nine-goal season in 2022/23.

In every game Xhaka came with him, especially when he was deprived of the captaincy that The incident against Crystal Palace, they remembered him.

What they missed the most was the passing of the 33-year-old player. He may not have been the same as Mesut Ozil or Kevin De Bruyne in their prime, but he was able to pick up locks and spread diagonal passes across the playing field.

In fact, since actually leaving London, he has been hailed by Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley as “one of the best players in Europe.” Journalist and author Sam Dean has even suggested that since entering his 30s, the former Arsenal man has been “one of the best midfielders in the world.”

Where Guimaraes and Xhaka have the most in common, however, is in a few areas, most notably their leadership skills and never-say-die attitude. Xhaka was an absolute hero and remains a gladiatorial player, helping Sunderland to a prestigious Europa League finish one year after being promoted to the Premier League.

Like Guimaraes, he is the type of player who will get in your face and is not afraid to be tackled. Last season, Bruno received nine yellow cards in all competitions. Xhaka, by comparison, has picked up the second most cautions (64) in the English top flight since 2016.

Can the Swiss star still work for Arsenal now? It’s hard to say he wouldn’t. While he is finalizing his camp, Xabi Alonso is keen to meet the player at Chelsea and personal terms have been agreed with the player’s camp.

There is little chance of a move at this stage but it shows how limited Xhaka’s mental qualities, in particular, are. That is the place where Guimaraes is very strong.

For Arsenal, they may take the Brazilian in the coming weeks but there must have been times over the last few years when Arteta asked himself, ‘what if we still had Xhaka’?