Arsenal close in on Newcastle United signing | OneFootball

Arsenal are closing in on a deal to sign Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United, which would be one of three signings the Gunners still want to make this summer.

Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images

Following reports from France that Arsenal have reached an agreement in principle with Newcastle United for the signing of Bruno Guimaraes, The Athletic have weighed in on the situation.

In an article largely about the ongoing pursuit of Vinicius Junior, Mario Cortegana, James McNicholas, and David Ornstein report that Arsenal are closing in on a deal for Guimaraes.

Though they don’t confirm L’Equipe’s claim of an agreement in principle, it certainly seems as though things are moving in that direction.

Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

The Athletic claim that following the signings of Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier and Club Brugge winger Christos Tzolis (and the permanent transfer of Piero Hincapie after his loan), Arsenal are looking to make three more additions this summer.

One is a midfielder, likely to be Guimaraes if all goes well. One is a winger, with Arsenal hotly pursuing Vinicius, but waiting on the outcome of his contract negotiations with Real Madrid. The third is a centre-back to cover William Saliba during his injury absence.

There’s no obvious frontrunner for a defensive addition, despite talk earlier this week that Arsenal might be closing in on one. Reported targets like Ezri Konsa, John Stones, and Jacobo Ramon all seem to be off the table right now.

Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images

Unless news suddenly breaks on the defensive front, it looks like Guimaraes might be the most doable deal at this stage.

Though Newcastle sources continue to issue repeated denials, even they have conceded that Eddie Howe’s recent departure was in part due to the expectation of Guimaraes’ sale.

It’s not done yet, but with the player set to link up with Newcastle for pre-season this weekend, Arsenal will want to get the deal over the line sooner rather than later.

Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images