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

Mikel Arteta will not rest on his laurels as he targets a generation of Gunners domination

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

Piero Hincapie's loan move has been made permanent as expected but otherwise there has been little in the way of either new faces or significant departures.

That is no surprise in a World Cup summer and will certainly change in the weeks ahead, with Arsenal set to be active in the window.

Despite the lack of substantial business so far, Andrea Berta's tactic of casting the net wide before narrowing down his top targets means that speculation has not been in short supply.

Bruno Guimaraes is the latest to be linked with a move to north London this summer.

Bruno Guimaraes is impressing for Brazil at the World Cup

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Arsenal have enquired about his availability and initial talks with the player's representatives have been held.

While Newcastle have insisted the midfielder is not available, it has been claimed in the Brazilian media that the Gunners approached the Magpies with an offer of around £55million.

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

Arsenal have been hit hard by injuries in recent years and want players who are robust enough to deal with the demands of playing 60 matches a season across four competitions.

Guimaraes would offer that, and also raise the level of Arsenal's depth in midfield, which is a key focus this summer.

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

Arsenal are keen to ensure they have the midfield options next season to ensure Declan Rice can be protected when required

Arsenal will listen to offers for Norgaard this summer and 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.

He will be given sufficient time off after the World Cup, particularly if England go deep in the tournament, and the Gunners are keen to ensure they have the midfield options next season to ensure Rice can be protected when required.

That is something Guimaraes would offer. He has started all three of Brazil's World Cup matches and registered three assists in the group stage.

Arteta was unwilling to use Norgaard and waited until May to trust Myles Lewis-Skelly, but Guimaraes is a player that he would be confident bringing into the starting line-up.

Myles Lewis-Skelly was finally trusted in midfield late in the season

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He has the physicality that Arteta admires, would add more leadership qualities to the Arsenal squad having captained Newcastle, and is a player Arsenal have long admired.

The Gunners considered a move for him in January 2022 when he was at Lyon but delayed a decision and Newcastle swooped in.

That interest in him still remains. However, Guimaraes will turn 29 in November and that must be a consideration for Arsenal as they consider how much to test Newcastle's resolve.

Initial talks have been held with Lille over Ayyoub Bouaddi and the 18-year-old would obviously retain his value far more than Guimaraes over the next few years.

The Brazilian has two years left on his contract at Newcastle, and that does leave the Magpies with a decision to make this summer.

However, particularly with Tottenham among the clubs in talks over a huge-money move for Sandro Tonali, Newcastle are not looking to sell Guimaraes.

That means Arsenal will need to spend big to test Newcastle's resolve. How much they are willing to do so will become clear in the coming weeks.