He’s here and he’s perfect. Arsenal may well have slumped to a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Borussia Dortmund in the Emirates Cup on Sunday, but for Gunners supporters it mattered not when they got a first glimpse of Bruno Guimaraes.
The midfielder was not in the squad for the visit of Dortmund but he was presented to fans for the first time. It was a welcome akin to Eberechi Eze a year ago. The roar inside the stadium was phenomenal as he emerged pitch side.
The hope now for Mikel Arteta and Co is that the Brazilian will be fit when they take to the pitch to face Coventry City in their opening Premier League game.
Guimaraes has begun training and providing he is up to speed, he should waltz right into the starting lineup in 11 days time. Only Declan Rice is better than him in that area of the pitch. What it means for Martin Zubimendi and Myles Lewis-Skelly, however, is uncertain.
What Bruno Guimaraes’ arrival means for Myles Lewis-Skelly
A year ago, Lewis-Skelly had just finished a remarkable maiden campaign at first-team level.
The teenager had dazzled from left-back, scoring against Manchester City and even firing home on his England debut. However, the last year has been rather different.
Lewis-Skelly was not afforded many minutes for the Gunners in 2025/26. The arrival of Piero Hincapie had meant that game time at left-back was not forthcoming.
The young Englishman only started five Premier League matches all season, four of which came in the final month of the campaign.
Behind the scenes, the 19-year-old had been working as a midfielder and it was in that position where he finally got his chance again. Lewis-Skelly was outstanding at the back end of the season and started the Champions League final ahead of new World Cup winner Zubimendi.
As a result of his exclusion from Thomas Tuchel’s squad out in North America, he has enjoyed a full pre-season in midfield and has featured in all three games against Girona, Real Betis and Dortmund so far. He is well set to start the opening game of the new season alongside Bruno.
|
Lewis-Skelly vs Dortmund |
|
|---|---|
|
Minutes played |
78 |
|
Touches |
56 |
|
Accurate passes |
47/50 (94%) |
|
Carries |
8 |
|
Duels won |
2/6 |
|
Ball recoveries |
3 |
|
Fouled |
Twice |
However, just like Hincapie’s arrival a year ago, Guimaraes’ emergence on the scene may ultimately be bad news in the long-term. While Lewis-Skelly eventually surpassed Zubimendi in the pecking order, it’s unlikely he will do so immediately to the former Newcastle captain. He is a seasoned Premier League performer, one of the best midfielders in the world.
So, the teen may well have to remain patient again as the season goes on.
Arsenal could sign a second midfielder after Guimaraes
At the end of the title-winning season, Rice and Zubimendi both looked spent. No outfield players at the club had played more minutes than the pair of them. As a result, the signing of Guimaraes was a necessity.
Next on the agenda could be to sign a younger midfielder. Ayyoub Bouaddi has been and gone. He looks bound for Manchester City. At 18, he is one of the best young players in the world. Arsenal were very much interested.
It would appear that the Gunners have been trying hard to add younger talent to their squad this summer. They came very close to signing Jeremie Monga from Leicester City, only for him to head to City like Bouaddi is set to do. They also looked at young defender Emmanuel Mbemba at PSG.
Well, as it happens, Arsenal are set to return to the negotiating table with Leicester in a bid to sign Monga’s former teammate, Louis Page. According to the BBC’s Sami Mokbel, Manchester United, Arsenal and Aston Villa are all exploring a move for the 18-year-old midfielder.
Previous reports have suggested that the Gunners have actually already seen a bid rejected for the young Englishman.
So, who is Page and why is he so highly-rated? Well, last term, he actually outshone the aforementioned Monga in the Championship. He was named the division’s Apprencite of the Year, playing 18 times in the second tier.
What are his best attributes? As it happens, Page is really rather similar to Lewis-Skelly. Capable of operating as a six or eight, BBC Radio Leicester reporter Owynn Palmer-Atkin describes the teenager as someone who is “powerful on the ball”. Palmer-Atkin further said: “He features a brilliant trait that many managers look for now, that ability to travel through the lines with the ball at his feet and can also find a killer pass.”
That is very much Lewis-Skelly-esque. His finest attribute is undoubtedly his ability to carry the ball through midfield and then make an incisive pass in behind the opposition defence.
It would be expected that Page would play plenty of minutes in the academy for starters but this is a player who is more than ready to feature at first-team level too.
Arsenal have plenty of options in midfield but Arteta has shown confidence in young 18-year-old Ife Ibrahim in pre-season and he has made a fabulous impact from the bench. Another tall and powerful midfielder, Page could come in and compete with him for first-team minutes next season.
This move would not set the world alight but another talented player inducted into Hale End would not go amiss.
