Bruno Guimaraes to Arsenal was a saga alright. Plenty denied the Gunners were even in talks with Newcastle United to sign the Brazilian but lo and behold, he was confirmed as the second major signing of the summer just a few days ago.
Guimaraes is yet to play a minute for the Gunners but he was paraded in front of the supporters on Sunday as Arsenal actually lost 3-2 to Borussia Dortmund in a pre-season friendly.
It was evidence of why Mikel Arteta needs Bruno in his team and why it needs to happen ASAP.
The biggest winners from Bruno Guimaraes’ move to Arsenal
This transfer window has been one for the midfielders. We’ve seen so many cross Premier League deals and it’s seen big money parted with.
Tottenham Hotspur secured the signings of Mateus Fernandes for £85m and Sandro Tonali for £100m. Elliot Anderson also moved to Manchester City for £116m.
|
Most expensive Premier League deals this summer |
|
|---|---|
|
Player |
Transfer fee |
|
1) Rogers to Chelsea |
£117m |
|
2) Anderson to Man City |
£116m |
|
3) Tonali to Spurs |
£100m |
|
4) Fernandes to Spurs |
£85m |
|
5) Guimaraes to Arsenal |
£75m |
|
6) Jacquet to Liverpool |
£55m |
Therefore, to sign Guimaraes, the captain of Newcastle for £75m, feels like a bargain. In that case, Arsenal are the winners of the midfield market.
However, who will be winning from his move at Arsenal? Well, it will certainly be music to the ears of a certain Declan Rice who is set to be partnered by one of the finest midfielders in the game right now.
A natural leader, the 28-year-old would not just be a mighty fine partner for Rice but he’s a player, combined with Martin Zubimendi, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Mikel Merino who could give the England man some much-needed time off.
Rice barely missed a game last term. In fact, no outfield player in the Arsenal squad played more minutes than the midfielder did in 2025/26.
It’s not just the midfield who might benefit. The forward line may also benefit significantly from Guimaraes’ arrival. Set to play as the left-sided eight in the middle of the park, both Christos Tzolis and Gabriel Martinelli will no doubt fall in love with his tenacity and line-breaking passing.
Martinelli has even heraled his fellow countryman as “one of the best midfielders in the world.” We saw at the World Cup the relationship they already have when Guimaraes supplied the winger’s late winner against Japan.
Guimaraes has it all. He’s captain material. He’s a warrior. First and foremost, however, he’s a mighty fine player. Now, they could sign a player with similar traits.
How Arsenal could sign another Guimaraes
After welcoming the Brazilian midfielder to the Emirates, Arsenal have two remaining priorities; to bolster their forward line and add cover for the injury-stricken William Saliba.
There are a few options. One of them was John Stones but he has moved to Inter Milan instead. Another option is Ezri Konsa. The latest on Arsenal’s move for the Aston Villa defender is that they have made an offer to sign the player.
He’s not the only player on their radar. Controversially, they have also been looking at Cristian Romero at Tottenham.
This is a rumour that has not been met with universal approval by supporters and it’s no surprise to see why. This would be no Sol Campbell repeat. Romero has proven for a number of years now that, despite being club captain, he is something of a liability at the back.
That’s primarily from a discipline point of view. Since joining Spurs, the Argentine has been sent off six times in five years.
Alas, Arsenal want a Premier League-proven option and according to Football Transfers, Andrea Berta is directly discussing a possible transfer with Romero’s representatives.
Those discussions have been positive. Spurs are reluctant to sell but Romero is keen on moving across north London to join Tottenham’s fierce rivals.
This is not a player who Arsenal fans like but there is logic to their interest. Like Guimaraes, he’s proven in the English top-flight. Like Guimaraes, he’s the captain of his club and like Guimaraes, he’s got that never-say-die warrior spirit.
It’s an attribute that Ange Postecoglou outlined when he appeared on the Overlap earlier this year. “Would you rather have Roy Keane in your team or against you? We would never have won the Europa League final without Romero,” Postecoglou explained.
“Before kick-off, he took our team into the Man United half for the huddle because our supporters were down that end. He’s not scared of anything. He’s a winner. I love winners.”
Year by year, Arteta has been adding more leaders to his squad. He has already done so this summer with the arrival of Guimaraes and he could do so again with the addition of Romero.
Sure, he has his faults. He’s made some costly errors in a Tottenham shirt. However, for Argentina, he has been nothing but exemplary. He has played in two World Cup finals. He has played 123 times in the Premier League.
As the Gunners look to add cover for Saliba, there really are not many better players on the market. Combine that with the fact he could be available for just £42m and this is a deal that actually begins to make a fair amount of sense.
