Why Arsenal signed Bruno Guimaraes and what it means for Declan Rice and Myles Lewis-Skelly | OneFootball

Brazilian signing both lifts the floor and raises the ceiling of Gunners’ squad

It had been a relatively quiet start to the transfer window for Arsenal.

Defender Piero Hincapié’s loan move was made permanent, as expected, then Illan Meslier joined on a free transfer to become the third-choice goalkeeper, before winger Christos Tzolis came in to replace the departed Leandro Trossard. But that is aboutto change, with Arsenal set to make Newcastle captain Bruno Guimarães their first huge signing of the summer.

Immediately after losing the Champions League final to Paris Saint-Germain in May, manager Mikel Arteta spoke about how the side needed to make “some very important decisions if we want to reach another level”, adding: “We’re going to have to show that ambition … [we must be] very, very ambitious, very fast and very smart.”

Signing one of the best midfielders in the Premier League to provide cover and competition for the best midfielder in the Premier League — Declan Rice — is about as ambitious as you can get.

Initial talks had been held with Lille over Ayyoub Bouaddi, but interest cooled before Manchester City stepped up their interest ahead of an expected deal. Guimarães is the midfielder Arteta wants.

After weeks of speculation and discussions with the player’s representatives, Arsenal submitted their first official bid on Monday — and it was promptly rejected. Talks continued and a fee of £75million was agreed on Tuesday evening. By Wednesday morning, Arsenal were planning a medical as the player said his goodbyes to Newcastle.

Standard Sport understands Guimarães had informed Newcastle of his wish to leave, despite joining his current team-mates at their Spain pre-season camp on Monday

Arsenal are looking to sign a midfielder this summer and Arteta places a high value on signing players already in the Premier League, minimising any adaptation period.

Guimarães missed six Premier League matches due to a hamstring injury last season but has otherwise been almost ever-present for the Magpies over the past four years.

Arsenal have been hit hard by injuries and want players who are robust enough to deal with the demands of playing 60 matches a season across four competitions and against a variety of opponents, from those who deploy a low block to others who play with an intense high press.

Guimarães would offer that while also raising the level of Arsenal’s depth in midfield, which is a key focus this summer.

Christian Norgaard, who this week joined Everton, was not trusted by Arteta and played barely 100 minutes in the Premier League. That had a knock-on effect on someone like Martín Zubimendi, who became increasingly exhausted through the campaign.

Declan Rice looked exhausted at times during the World Cup

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He barely missed a game until the run-in, when Myles Lewis-Skelly was afforded opportunities in midfield and impressed so much that he started the Champions League final.

Arsenal are keen to sign a midfielder who is not just a squad player but can play alongside and genuinely compete with the likes of Rice and Zubimendi.

Rice has been managing neural pain in his hamstring since December and Arsenal are acutely aware of just how much he has put his body through.

No Arsenal outfield player played more minutes than Rice last season, ahead of Zubimendi, and he was the only player other than goalkeeper David Raya to play more than 3,000 minutes.

The extent of Rice’s fitness woes became apparent during the World Cup when he was unable to fully participate during England training sessions and had to be withdrawn early during a tough quarter-final tie against Norway.

He has been given sufficient time off after the World Cup and the Gunners are keen to ensure they have the midfield options next season so Rice can be protected when required.

That is something Guimarães would offer. He started all of Brazil’s World Cup matches and registered four assists during the tournament.

Arteta may have been unwilling to use Norgaard and waited until May to trust Lewis-Skelly, but Guimarães is a player he would be confident bringing into the starting line-up.

He has the physicality, spatial awareness and ability to keep possession that Arteta admires and, having captained Newcastle, would add more leadership qualities to the squad. Arteta is said to be particularly fond of how press-resistant Guimarães is, which would aid Arsenal’s efforts in the Champions League as they look to go one better after losing last season’s final.

Myles Lewis-Skelly has Mikel Arteta’s trust

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PSG, by Arteta’s own admission, “forced” Arsenal to play in a way they did not want to during the defeat in Budapest. “I haven’t seen it before,” he said after the game.

Guimarães is a midfielder who attracts pressure, yet no other Newcastle player made more line-breaking passes per game in the Premier League last season.

He would sit in front of the back four, with Rice and captain Martin Ødegaard either side in a trio to dictate the midfield tempo. The suggestion is that Guimarães is a plug-and-play signing, ready to make an immediate impact in a title-winning squad.

The Gunners have been aware of Guimarães since his time with Athletico Paranaense in 2020, and considered a move for him in January 2022 when he was at Lyon but delayed a decision. Newcastle swooped in and watched him become one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.

Guimarães turns 29 in November, but he must be considered a coup even at the £75million price tag — the “very smart” decision-making Arteta called for back in May.

In addition to his defensive abilities in the middle of the park, Guimarães racked up nine league goals and five assists last season. Only Viktor Gyökeres in Arsenal red bettered that tally.

Once Guimarães is through the door, Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta will hope to lure another Brazilian to north London in the form of Vinicius Jr. That deal will prove a whole lot trickier, with Real Madrid desperate to extend the star’s contract, which is currently set to expire next summer.

Ambition is the buzzword for Arteta’s reign at Arsenal, and you cannot fault the Premier League champions’ desire to lift the floor and raise the ceiling as they aim to build a dynasty in north London.