Bruno Guimaraes has linked up with his Newcastle teammates in Spain as Arsenal continue to push to sign the Magpies captain.
The Gunners have seen an opening bid for the Brazilian rejected, but a move to north London is still very much on the table.
There is a gap in the two clubs’ valuation of the 28-year-old, with Arsenal’s offer believed to be around £70million, while Newcastle want £80m for their skipper.
It does not seem like too much of a gap to bridge and a deal appears likely to be done, especially as the Brazil international has reportedly made it clear he wishes to move to the Premier League champions.
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Guimaraes is not repeating the actions of former teammate Alexander Isak, though, and has gone to Spain to link-up with the Newcastle squad for pre-season training.
Last summer Isak went on strike to force through a move to Liverpool, which he eventually got.
Instead, the Brazilian posted a picture from Newcastle’s La Manga training base on Sunday night, having joined up with the squad after a post-World Cup break.
Newcastle are not keen to sell another star player this summer after the departures of Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali to Barcelona and Tottenham respectively.
Those big-money deals have brought in over £160m before add-ons, so the Magpies are under no pressure to get rid of another star player.
However, with the midfielder reportedly very keen on joining the Premier League champions they are also unlikely to keep him against his will, as long as their valuation is met.
New manager at St James’ Park, Matthias Jaissle, will want to know exactly who he is working with for the upcoming season as soon as possible, having agreed to replace Eddie Howe.
Arsenal are investing heavily in their squad again this summer, with a new midfielder and left winger their priority signings.
Former West Ham and Chelsea striker Carlton Cole has cast some doubt on the interest in Guimaraes, asking how Mikel Arteta’s midfield will be set up with the Brazilian in it.
‘I’m not buying that you win the league and then you go and bolster up and then you automatically go and win the league again, it doesn’t work like that,’ Cole said on TalkSPORT.
‘I get that you have to always build and rest on the previous season, but when you look at it, where’s he going to play? Who’s he going to play in front of? [Martin] Odegaard? He’s not going to get in front of Declan [Rice].
‘I can’t see it. I don’t know he would do it. But he’s going to go there, he’s going to play, so who’s he going to be replacing?’
Martin Zubimendi was also a regular in the Arsenal midfield last season after arriving from Real Sociedad in the summer of 2025 and playing 57 games in all competitions.
However, the Spaniard had fallen down the pecking order late in the campaign and was on the bench for the Champions League final, with Arteta preferring Myles Lewis-Skelly in midfield with Rice and Odegaard.
The likes of Eberechi Eze and Mikel Merino are also competing for positions in the starting XI, while Christian Norgaard is expected to leave this summer to join Everton in a £7m deal.