Bryan Robson has urged Manchester United to rival Arsenal for a deal for Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes.
Arsenal made a ‘verbal offer’ for the Brazilian earlier in the month but Newcastle immediately rebuffed the £45m approach.
The Gunners, looking to bolster Mikel Arteta’s title-winning squad, are weighing up whether to return with an improved bid.
They have been boosted by reports Guimaraes has informed Newcastle of his desire to leave the club and is keen to make the move to the Emirates Stadium.
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Guimaraes has been one of the most influential midfielders in the Premier League since his £40m move from Lyon in 2022, helping Newcastle qualify for the Champions League and win the Carabao Cup.
Manchester United have already signed two midfielders this summer, bringing in Andrey Santos from Chelsea and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa.
But Michael Carrick wants to welcome at least one more midfielder to his squad at Old Trafford following Casemiro’s departure and the horror injury Manuel Ugarte suffered at the World Cup.
Former United captain Robson believes Guimaraes would be the perfect replacement for Casemiro and an ideal signing for the Red Devils.
Arsenal initially believed a fee of around £60m would be enough to strike a deal for Guimaraes but recent reports suggest Newcastle could ask for up to £100m given the current climate in the transfer market.
‘Bruno Guimaraes would be the right player for Manchester United to replace Casemiro,’ Robson told Hajper. ‘I’ve always liked him as a captain.
‘He’s got a great attitude. He must be a good lad to have around the place. He’s carried himself really well at Newcastle.
‘You’ve got to be careful how many players you send forward but the way Bruno Fernandes gets on the ball, Bruno Guimaraes can do the work that Casemiro has done at United because he’s such an intelligent player.
‘Casemiro got a little bit of stick for not being able to get about the park enough but he was clever too, scored goals with his head and could defend well when he was in the right position, and he was great at passing it forward through to Bruno.
‘Bruno Guimaraes can do all that for you too. He’s a midfield player who can do a little bit of both, in attacking and in defence, and he’s got a very good engine.
‘The only question mark is whether he’d be available now this summer. I’d be very surprised if Newcastle sold him in the same summer as Sandro Tonali leaving the club. I’m not sure they’d allow it.’
Ex-Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke has a different opinion of Guimaraes, however, insisting he would not be ‘excited’ for his arrival at Old Trafford.
‘I don’t know about Bruno Guimaraes,’ he told BoyleSports. ‘I’m not sure he has been that impressive.
‘I watched him play for Brazil at the World Cup and he’s not convinced me. I think he’s good. He’s shown that at Newcastle United. He’s got a good work ethic. I understand the value of that.
‘But is that what you’re paying for when you sign a player to come to Manchester United? A good work ethic?
‘Listen, he’s a solid player and maybe he’s good enough to get into a team at the level Manchester United should be at but is going to take them to another level?
‘Will Bruno Guimaraes put United any closer to the Premier League title? If so, he’s a good signing. But he doesn’t excite me.
‘I’m not seeing him picking up a ball and boom, sending over one of those diagonal passes or cutting defenders apart with one ball. I just don’t see that quality from him.
‘That’s why his performances for Brazil worried me. He was just another solid player in that team. They’re all solid players.
‘I’m not saying he’s not a good player but is that where United are at now? Just buying players because they’re solid? Bring me players that are going to make us superior! I’m not so sure that’s Bruno Guimaraes.
‘The World Cup was an opportunity for him to tell the world there’s a reason why a team like Manchester United are going to be after me, and he’s come up short, in my opinion.’
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