Arsenal are progressing towards a significant double transfer window coup with Bruno Guimaraes reportedly agreeing personal terms with the club, according to transfer insider Nicolo Schira. This development comes alongside advanced talks for Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, who FootballTransfers revealed on Wednesday is ‘very, very close’ to completing a move to the Emirates Stadium.
Schira reported via X that Guimaraes has agreed a contract extending to 2031 with Mikel Arteta’s side, with Arsenal actively “pushing” to secure the 28-year-old midfielder. The Brazilian international’s potential arrival follows reports from FootballTransfers on July 4th detailing his growing dissatisfaction with the direction of Newcastle United, with one source stating bluntly, “he’s not happy” with the current situation.
This discontent has escalated, with David Ornstein of The Athletic confirming on Wednesday that Guimaraes has submitted a formal transfer request to Newcastle. While Arsenal are reportedly prepared to offer £60 million (€70m) for the player, no official club-to-club contact has yet been made. Newcastle have initially maintained they are unwilling to sell, but the transfer request may force a change in stance.
However, Newcastle are holding firm on their valuation, with reports from The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards suggesting the club views current speculation as an attempt to pressure them into a sale, similar to the situation surrounding Alexander Isak. Edwards states there has been no formal bid from Arsenal, dismissing talk of verbal offers as “agent nonsense.” Newcastle are reportedly seeking a fee in the region of the £100 million (€115m) paid for Sandro Tonali, and Guimaraes will need to actively push for the move to facilitate a transfer.
Arsenal are currently negotiating transfer fees for both Guimaraes and Rogers, facing significant demands from their Premier League rivals. Aston Villa are seeking a British record fee of £130 million (€150m) for Rogers, while Newcastle are resolute on their £100 million valuation of Guimaraes. Arsenal have reportedly offered an initial £72.5m (€85m) for Rogers and £44.5m (€52m) for Guimaraes, with the latter being rejected. The Chronicle reports Newcastle are bracing for another approach, despite initially declaring Guimaraes unavailable, with Arsenal believing a bid of £65m (€75.5m) could be sufficient.
Despite the substantial gap in valuations, Arsenal’s success in securing the commitment of both players places them in a strong negotiating position, potentially dealing a significant blow to their title rivals this summer.
