Guimaraes tells Newcastle he wants Arsenal move as Gunners prepare £60m bid

Bruno Guimaraes has asked Newcastle to let him leave this summer and has made clear he wants to join Arsenal, with the Gunners now preparing a £60m package for the Brazilian midfielder after an initial offer was turned down.

According to The Athletic, Arsenal will intensify their pursuit of the 28-year-old following his transfer request. As of now, no club-to-club talks have taken place and Newcastle remain determined to hold on to their captain, but Guimaraes’ public stance significantly increases the pressure on the club to negotiate.

Guimaraes joined Newcastle from Lyon in a £40m deal in January 2022 and has since made 195 appearances for the club, scoring 30 goals. He was central to their Carabao Cup triumph — ending a lengthy trophy drought — and played a key role in securing their return to the Champions League. He has two years remaining on his current contract.

The transfer request comes at a difficult moment for Newcastle, who have already seen several key players depart in recent months. Alexander Isak joined Liverpool last summer, while Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon have been sold to Tottenham Hotspur and Barcelona respectively. Kieran Trippier also left on a free transfer, joining Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Earlier this year, Guimaraes was linked with a move to Manchester United, claims that Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe dismissed firmly. “For me it is a nonsense story,” Howe said at the time. “Bruno’s our captain, he’s fully committed. To say our captain is in discussions with another club is totally disrespectful to Bruno more than anything else. He is totally committed here.”

The situation has clearly evolved since those comments. With Arsenal now willing to meet Newcastle’s valuation and Guimaraes himself pushing for the exit, the north-east club face a significant test of their ability to retain their most influential player.