Arsenal is reportedly scouting and evaluating Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimaraes as a potential addition to their midfield, particularly to take over the No. 6 role. This interest comes amid broader considerations in the club’s midfield plans for next season, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein.
Bruno has a release clause of £100 million in his contract that runs through June 30 and is no longer triggerable from July 1 on. As much as that fee could pose a financial challenge for Arsenal it’s also some sort of bargain considering it would rule out all types of negotiations between both clubs, putting the Gunners in a straight contract negotiation with the player forfeiting talks with NUFC.
Despite the high fee, Arsenal’s recruitment strategy may also depend on their existing players, especially with Thomas Partey and Albert Sambi Lokonga looking like potential sold members of the current squad to make room for arrivals in the midfield.
Ornstein mentioned that Arsenal has other candidates for the role, including Martin Zubimendi, that might be more attainable and give Arsenal more room to make other additions elsewhere on their lineup. The final decision, Ornstein wrote, remains to be made.
On Newcastle’s side, the club is reluctant to lose Bruno and probably can’t wait for July 1 to arrive so they don’t have to fear a behemoth the likes of Man City or PSG paying the release clause and stealing Bruno from them without no possible answer.
According to Ornstein, Newcastle would resist any offers below the release clause value unless financial pressures under the Profit and Sustainability Regulations necessitate such a move. It’s been reported that NUFC will most probably have to sell one of Bruno, Alexander Isak, or Sven Botman, so it’s not that anything can be ruled out at this point.
The player’s happiness at Newcastle and the improving results of late, most probably leading to a place in the Europa League next season, are believed to be a heavy factor in Bruno’s preference for staying put in Tyneside and rejecting a move, even if a club pays his release clause.
