Why “£100m” Arsenal star is Rice’s perfect partner

In one year’s time, Arsenal may be celebrating back-to-back Premier League titles, perhaps vengeance in the Champions League, having lost last year’s final against Paris Saint-Germain on penalties.

It’s clear that this is the ambition, spearheaded by Mikel Arteta and the Kroenke ownership. Arsenal have had a taste of title-winning success, but now they want more, and they are pulling out the stops in their quest to achieve exactly that.

While Leandro Trossard is on his way to Besiktas, the Gunners believe they are signing a shrewd replacement in Club Brugge’s Christos Tzolis. Likewise, a deal for Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes could help lift the Emirates to new heights.

He’s no spring chicken, but Arsenal are willing to fork out a significant sum on the Brazilian midfielder.

Why Arsenal want to sign Bruno Guimaraes

Arsenal know two things: Guimaraes would love to join Arteta’s project this summer, and Newcastle are vehemently opposed to his departure from St. James’ Park.

There is a case to be made that Guimaraes is the finest all-action midfielder in the Premier League, perhaps Europe. He excels in fighting to win the ball back, distributing that ball into promising areas and controlling the general flow of games. He is, as Eddie Howe has remarked, a “special” player.

Guimaraes and Brazil might be out of the 2026 World Cup, but he certainly gave a good account of himself, a superstar for his nation even though they crashed out against Norway under a baking sun in the round of 16.

Rice is a phenomenal player, one of the very best in the Premier League, but there’s a case to be made that Guimaraes pips him, and landing him this summer would play into the immediacy of Arteta’s title-winning ambitions.

However, if Newcastle do stand firm and demand a sum close to the £100m figure Tottenham paid to sign Sandro Tonali, Arsenal may need to think outside the box.

Arsenal already have Rice’s dream midfield partner

Guimaraes is the real deal, alright, but he turns 30 toward the end of 2027, so Arsenal need to question whether they would be getting bang for their buck, should they be required to pay a nine-digit figure to bring him over to north London.

If Arteta does opt to go down a different track, he might be tempted to place further emphasis in converting Myles Lewis-Skelly back into a centre-midfielder, with the 19-year-old having featured prominently at left-back thus far as a senior at Arsenal.

The Hale End graduate is a Premier League champion, and one of the most exciting up-and-comers at the club. He has played 75 times for Arsenal already, earning six England caps along the way.

A wicked mix of physical and technical quality has established ‘MLS’ as one of the most exciting youngsters in the division, and he has been hailed by editor Aaron Catterson-Reid as a “£100m footballer” in the making.

Lewis-Skelly’s midfield experience has been limited, but he has shined when placed there. Against Fulham at the start of May, for example, during that crucial 3-0 win, he dazzled in the centre alongside Rice, perhaps hinting at a future partnership for the ages.

If Arsenal did miss out on Guimaraes, instead focusing their attention on a £100m+ move for Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, they would not be sold short. Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard are both options, and Lewis-Skelly is only going to get better and better over the coming years.

During that performance, the young lad completed 97% of his passes, won seven duels and made six ball recoveries as Arsenal continued to rebound from that Etihad defeat to Man City, making good on an assertion from one club insider that he could be a “future captain” in north London.

Guimaraes is levels above Lewis-Skelly right now, and that’s just the plain truth, but if Arsenal bide their time and avoid paying over the odds, they could hit the jackpot on a talent such as Lewis-Skelly, someone who has all the pieces in front of him to become an iconic part of this golden chapter at the Emirates.