Newcastle's £100m brake on Arsenal's Guimaraes bid

An unexpected price shock has struck one of Arsenal's biggest targets of the summer window. According to the report, Newcastle United have made it clear to the London club that any deal for Bruno Guimaraes will require a fee of around £100 million. Arsenal, however, had reportedly been led via intermediaries to believe they could land the Brazilian captain for a package closer to £60 million; that information proving wrong has forced the London club to weigh paying almost double.

Newcastle's stance, meanwhile, is not shifting. The club generated a combined £162 million (which could rise closer to £170 million) from selling Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali this summer, yet remain determined not to lose their captain as well. The hierarchy is said to rate Guimaraes as one of the world's elite midfielders, a view reportedly already backed up by the market via the £100 million Tottenham paid for Tonali.

There are, however, encouraging signals on the player's side. Guimaraes and his representatives are said to have made clear to Arsenal since the start of the summer that he wants to move to north London, with Manchester City also informed of his interest but Arsenal remaining his preferred destination. The French press went further still, claiming Guimaraes has agreed terms with Arsenal on a contract that would run until 2031.

It is noted that the 28-year-old captain has two years remaining on his current deal, with Newcastle holding an option to extend by a further year — effectively tying him to the club until 2030. Newcastle are said to believe the next move is entirely Arsenal's and feel no pressure to sell, while the file is expected to be resolved before the player reports back for pre-season.

Source: talkSPORT
Image: BBC Sport