Arsenal reach contract “agreement” to sign £70m star

After securing their first Premier League title in 22 years last season, the goal for Arsenal this summer is clear – bolster the squad to improve their chances of retaining their trophy.

Mikel Arteta has made no secret that he wants added reinforcements during the current window, but it’s safe to say the recruitment process has taken a while to get going.

Christos Tzolis completed his £34m move from Club Brugge earlier this week, subsequently offering the Gunners a new option in the final third after Leandro Trossard’s move to Besiktas.

However, despite the shrewd move to land the Greek international, he certainly won’t be joined by one player at the Emirates next campaign.

Why Arsenal were right not to spend £117m on Morgan Rogers

As part of Arsenal’s summer recruitment drive, they identified Aston Villa winger Morgan Rogers as a key target to add a new dimension to the club’s already star-studded attack.

However, as proved to be the case in the end, the two clubs had a huge difference in price tag, as Arteta’s men only valued the England international at £80m compared to Villa’s asking price of £130m.

REUTERS/Caean Couto

Despite the player himself also wanting a move to the Emirates, Chelsea swooped in at the 11th hour and completed a £117m deal for the 23-year-old forward.

The Gunners made the right decision to walk away from negotiations for the attacker, with the player certainly not worth the fee paid for his signature this summer.

Rogers may be a creative option within the final third, but in the Premier League last term, he only achieved a 74% pass completion rate – ranking him in the bottom 15% of players in the division.

His ability to find teammates with his crosses was also way below what you’d expect from a £117m man, as he only completed 6% of his efforts – also ranking him below 85% of other attackers.

The 23-year-old certainly does not possess the direct nature needed in a left winger at the Emirates – as reflected in his measly tally of just 34% dribbles completed last term.

How Arsenal can land a bigger talent than Rogers this summer

Despite missing out on the signature of Rogers this summer, Arsenal’s efforts in the transfer market have shown no signs of slowing down over the last couple of days.

The hierarchy have continued to monitor a variety of transfer targets across Europe, with the view to making an offer and testing the resolve of teams who don’t want to offload their star players.

Such a situation has seen the Gunners once again revisit a move for Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimarães after previously having two offers rejected this window.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has provided the latest on the deal, stating on his YouTube channel: “Arsenal are ready to send a new bid for Bruno Guimarães.

“Arsenal have a full agreement in place with Bruno on personal terms. So the contract is ready, the contract is done. Bruno said yes but wants to be respectful to Newcastle.”

The next bid for the Brazilian is said to be around the £70m mark, but Eddie Howe’s side are expected to reject the proposal as they don’t want to lose their captain this window.

However, should a deal be agreed, Arteta’s men would be landing a proven Premier League star and one who managed to massively outperform Rogers throughout 2025/26.

Whilst the pair operate in slightly different roles, the Brazilian managed to achieve a higher pass completion rate and even created over two times more chances than the £117m attacker.

The aforementioned areas also saw Bruno rank above 85% of players in England’s top-flight – highlighting his tremendous ability to dictate the play from deep-lying positions.

He also possesses a superb set-piece delivery – unlike Rogers – subsequently allowing him to complete over four times more crosses in the Premier League last year.

Without the ball, the Magpies talent is undeniably in a different league to the Englishman and unsurprisingly so given his more defensive role on the pitch.

Guimaraes managed to win more ground duels than the 23-year-old last term, whilst being fouled more than any other player in England’s top-division throughout 2025/26.

However, his defensive responsibilities didn’t prevent him from catching the eye in attacking areas – as he ended the recent campaign with just two fewer combined goals and assists.

The Brazilian’s all-round quality would make him an excellent addition for Arteta’s men, with the Spaniard able to rely upon a “world-class” operator – as described by journalist Sam Parker.

Given the player’s interest, the Gunners should be pulling out all of the stops to be able to secure a move for Guimaraes ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.

He would add serious quality to the heart of Arteta’s midfield whilst also allowing the supporters the opportunity to forget about missing out on a deal for Rogers.