Newcastle United have not received an official bid from Arsenal for the Brazilian midfielder, with a reported £45m intermediary approach instantly dismissed by the Magpies
Newcastle United are yet to receive a formal approach or bid for Bruno Guimaraes, despite mounting speculation linking him with a move to Arsenal. The Brazilian midfielder is considered a more cost-effective alternative to Sandro Tonali in terms of transfer fees, with the Italian having been offered to the Gunners through his agency GR Sports last week.
Arsenal showed no interest in meeting Tonali’s £275,000 per week wage demands, nor the 10 per cent agent cut of what would have been an enormous fee.
Bruno remains firmly on the Gunners’ radar, according to sources in the capital, though a suggested offer of £45million through intermediaries is understood to have been swiftly rebuffed.
Newcastle made their position abundantly clear this week, declaring the Brazilian international “not for sale” after intermediaries were instructed to enquire about the club’s valuation of the midfielder.
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The Magpies’ stance on any potential departure for Bruno has been unequivocal. However, should the player fail to commit to a new contract, his market value could significantly diminish over the coming transfer windows as his deal nears its conclusion.
What must be emphasised is that there has been no direct club-to-club communication between the two sides, with Arsenal currently attempting to identify whether there is a threshold at which a deal could become viable. Reports emerging in the last 24 hours suggest Newcastle have tabled a new £200,000 per week contract offer to the midfielder.
However, sources close to the negotiations reveal that Bruno’s representatives, who travelled to the World Cup without a fresh contract offer from United, insist that financial terms and contract duration are not driving the former Lyon star’s decision.
It is believed that the sporting project sits at the forefront of Bruno’s priorities, and with Newcastle unable to offer European football next season and yet to complete a significant signing, the midfielder’s agent is monitoring developments on Tyneside from a distance at the World Cup.
Whether Arsenal will table a formal offer remains uncertain, but the transfer saga bears similarities to Alexander Isak’s departure last summer, when weeks of discussions and approaches through intermediaries ultimately led to a concrete £110m bid for the Swedish striker, which was turned down on August 1.
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This suggests Arsenal’s pursuit of Bruno could continue throughout the World Cup and possibly beyond, though Newcastle officials remain composed regarding their position on the Brazilian star.
Meanwhile, Gunners co-chair Josh Kroenke has revealed how Arsenal will look to defend their Premier League crown next season.
Speaking in May, he told NBC Sports: “The business never stops. And so, right now there are other teams that are already trying to strengthen to come at us for next season. So we need to be aware of that.
“We’ve already had a few conversations about different areas that we think we can improve – both on and off the pitch. We are looking forward to getting that going this summer.
“It is going to be an interesting one because of the World Cup, but fortunately everybody is coming to the United States, so I don’t have to travel for once.”
Other midfielders being linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium include Morgan Rogers, Felix Nmecha and Manu Kone.
