Arsenal, fresh from winning the 2025/26 Premier League title, are looking to add quality to their squad for their upcoming title defence.
One area that the Gunners have targeted for new reinforcements is in the middle of the park, where Declan Rice had to carry the majority of the workload in their last campaign.
As a result they have reportedly made a verbal offer for Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes.
The 28-year-old is a talismanic figure for the Magpies (8/1 to finish in the top four) and his loss would be keenly felt, especially given the fact that Anthony Gordon has already departed to Barcelona and fellow midfielder Sandro Tonali has been linked with a move away.
That makes any deal for Guimaraes difficult but Newcastle’s failure to qualify for European football will make it tough for Eddie Howe’s side to retain their star players.
Gunners looking for central all-rounder
Arsenal are 6/4 favourites to retain the Premier League crown, but they are still looking to strengthen their squad and are making an early move to shore up the middle of the park.
With Elliot Anderson nearing a move to Manchester City and Manchester United also reportedly signing Atalanta’s Ederson, there may be something of a domino effect in the market for central midfielders.
Declan Rice had to shoulder the majority of the workload for Arsenal in the 2025/26 season. He played in 55 games for the Gunners while is also in action for England at the ongoing World Cup.
Martin Odegaard, Mikel Merino and Myles Lewis-Skelly all struggled with injuries throughout the last Premier League campaign and bringing in another quality option should reduce the stress upon the Gunners’ central midfielders.
Guimaraes has been integral to Newcastle’s success since arriving from Lyon in 2022, making over 150 appearances and scoring 30 goals.
The Brazilian, who has starred for his team at the World Cup, is a real all-rounder who enjoys the physicality of the Premier League but also has a keen eye for a pass.
Arteta aiming to go back-to-back
Arsenal’s success in the 2025/26 Premier League campaign was largely down to their defensive strength.
However, their attacking output was at times not as strong as Manchester City, and an area which the Gunners will be looking to improve.
Guimaraes would certainly help on that front. He scored nine Premier League goals and registered five assists from 29 games in the 2025/26 season.
With their rivals Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea all welcoming new managers before the new campaign, Arsenal may see this as an opportunity to press home their Premier League advantage while their title rivals take time to get accustomed to new bosses.
The signing of Guimaraes would be a real statement of intent from Mikel Arteta’s side.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
