Arsenal have already sold their own Bruno Guimaraes for just £21m

After winning the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years, Arsenal have the opportunity to attract some of the best players in the world.

While they were already capable of convincing the likes of Declan Rice and Viktor Gyokeres to sign, there was a sense they needed a piece of major silverware to show off in transfer negotiations.

Well, with that in mind, Mikel Arteta and Co are attacking things hard as they go about retaining their crown.

Up top, Morgan Rogers is the leading target while in midfield, there are a host of options on Arsenal’s radar including Newcastle duo Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes.

Moroccan wonderkid Ayyoub Bouaddi is another option while Alex Scott at Bournemouth is a player the Gunners really like.

Of all of them, Guimaraes would be the biggest of statement signings.

Why Arsenal want to sign Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle

Last week it was revealed that Arsenal had already opened initial talks with Guimaraes’ representatives regarding a potential switch to the Emirates Stadium.

A fee of £55m was put forward towards Newcastle via intermediaries but the Toon were in no bid to hold discussions at that price. The word is that the Brazilian is not for sale but he only has two years left on his contract and the sense is he will not renew.

As a result, Arsenal have been given encouragement to open official club-to-club talks in the coming weeks as they attempt to prise him away from St James’ Park.

So, why would h be the ceiling raiser Arteta needs in the middle of the park? Well, at the age of 28, this is a win-now signing. It’s the type of player you grab when you’re on top. Call it a Sir Alex Ferguson-type signing if you will.

On countless occasions, the decorated Scot would go and sign the very best players in the Premier League. Arsenal would be taking a leaf out of his book in that regard.

Proven in England and the captain of Newcastle, it’s obvious to see why Arteta would want him. He would not need much time, if any, to settle into his new surroundings and is a player capable of immediately taking on leadership duties in the team.

That’s not to suggest he would claim the captaincy from Martin Odegaard, but with him and Declan Rice in midfield, you would have two dogged warriors who are willing to whatever it takes to win. Big personalities, there would not be a more feared midfield duo in the whole of the Premier League.

He’s not just about doing the dirty work, however. Guimaraes bagged nine goals and supplied six assists in 29 league games last term. You name it, Bruno can do it.

That being said, did Arsenal already have a similar player during the Arteta era?

Arsenal have already sold their own Bruno Guimaraes

Ever since the aforementioned Rice arrived at the Emirates in the summer of 2023, it feels like Arteta has been seeking solutions to his midfield three.

Of course, the club-record man has been an immovable object in the middle of the park but his partners haven’t always convinced.

Rice first partnered Thomas Partey and then established a wonderful connection with Martin Zubimendi last season. That was, however, until the Spaniard’s performances started to wane. No other outfield players at Arsenal featured for more minutes than the midfield duo in 2025/26. Zubimendi looked knackered once all was said and done.

That window in 2023 was actually decisive in all of this. Yes Rice arrived, but a certain Granit Xhaka, Arsenal’s very own Guimaraes, took his leave, joining Bayer Leverkusen for just £21m.

Truth be told, the Swiss’ exit from north London was a surprising one. At long last, the Arsene Wenger signing had managed to earn the affection of Arsenal supporters the world over after a dazzling nine goal season in 2022/23.

For all of the drama Xhaka brought with him, notably when he was stripped of the captaincy for that incident against Crystal Palace, they have missed him.

What they have missed most is the 33-year-old’s passing ability. He may not have been like Mesut Ozil or Kevin De Bruyne in their prime but he could pick a lock and spread phenomenal diagonal passes across the field of play.

In fact, since actually leaving London, he has been celebrated by Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley as “one of the best passers in Europe.” Journalist and writer Sam Dean even suggests that since entering his 30s, the former Arsenal man has been “one of the best midfielders in the world.”

Where Guimaraes and Xhaka are most alike, however, is in a few areas, primarily their leadership skills and never-say-die attitude. Xhaka was an absolute warrior and still is a gladiatorial presence, helping Sunderland to a famous Europa League finish one year after being promoted to the Premier League.

Like Guimaraes, he’s the type of player who will get in your face and he’s not afraid of a tackle either. Last season, Bruno picked up nine yellow cards in all competitions. Xhaka, for comparison, has picked up the second most cautions (64) in the English top-flight since 2016.

Would the Switzerland star still be capable of doing a job for Arsenal now? It’s hard to say he wouldn’t. While into the latter stages of his career, Xabi Alonso is keen on reuniting with the player at Chelsea and personal terms have been agreed with the player’s camp.

A move is unlikely at this stage but it does go to show how highly Xhaka’s mental attributes, in particular, are rated. That’s an area Guimaraes is particularly strong in too.

For Arsenal, they may well snap up the Brazilian in the coming weeks but there must have been occasions in the last few years where Arteta wondered, ‘what if we still had Xhaka’?