Arsenal reach agreement with Newcastle for Bruno Guimaraes

Arsenal's biggest midfield move of the summer window is reaching its conclusion. According to L'Equipe, Arsenal have reached an agreement in principle with Newcastle United for the transfer of captain Bruno Guimaraes; the deal is reported to have entered its final stage after the Gunners raised their offer to €90 million (around £77 million) excluding bonuses.

The details of the agreement have also become clear. According to L'Equipe's Hugo Guillemet, Arsenal reached this figure after earlier bids of €70 million and €80 million were rejected; some details, including bonuses and agent fees, still need to be finalised, though the deal is reported to be largely complete. In Guillemet's words: "Arsenal have forced Newcastle to increase their offer to €90 million, excluding bonuses, for Brazilian international midfielder Bruno Guimaraes. Some details remain to be finalised to complete the deal."

The player's stance also accelerated this transfer. Guimaraes is reported to have agreed personal terms on a contract running until 2031 several weeks ago, having long wanted a move to north London; according to talkSPORT, the player asked Newcastle to delay his departure for their pre-season camp in La Manga to allow the transfer to be completed.

This transfer is the heaviest blow of a shattering summer for Newcastle. The club is recalled to have sold Sandro Tonali to Tottenham and Anthony Gordon to Barcelona this summer, with manager Eddie Howe also having recently stepped down; Newcastle are reported to have anticipated Guimaraes' departure by signing Aladji Bamba from Monaco.

It is also emphasised that the deal could create a "domino effect." Part of the reason for Newcastle's insistence on a higher fee is that some of it must be paid to French side Lyon, who sold Guimaraes to them in January 2022.

This income will be a key boost for Lyon. That agreement, worth an initial fee of up to £40 million, guaranteed Lyon 20 per cent of any profit from the player's next transfer, meaning the Ligue 1 side will receive around £8 million (potentially more with bonuses); it is recalled that this income will be significant for Lyon, who faced serious financial problems last summer and were nearly relegated to Ligue 2.

Source: L'Equipe
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