Newcastle United are determined to keep Bruno Guimaraes out of Arsenal’s clutches this summer.
The Magpies have already rejected a £55m offer from the Premier League champions, Football Insider reports, and have no intention of sanctioning a sale of the Brazil midfielder.
Their resolve has only stiffened in recent weeks. The departures of Anthony Gordon to Barcelona and Sandro Tonali to Tottenham have left Newcastle wary of a mass exodus.
Newcastle dig in to block Bruno Guimaraes move to Arsenal
Losing a third key player would, in their view, leave the squad badly weakened. Eddie Howe is central to that thinking.
The Newcastle boss is desperate to retain Guimaraes, regarding him as a leader and the heartbeat of his midfield. The club are said to be preparing a new contract to tie him down for the long term.
The valuation gap remains enormous, too. Newcastle previously placed a £100m price tag on the 30-year-old, making Arsenal’s £55m opening bid comfortably short.
That figure was dismissed almost instantly, with some at the club branding it insulting. Arsenal, though, are not deterred.
Mikel Arteta has long admired Guimaraes and is driving the pursuit personally. The Gunners are considering an improved offer, encouraged by a belief that a deal could yet be there to be done.
The player’s own mood adds intrigue. Guimaraes is reported to be souring on the idea of staying, tempted by regular Champions League football, and growing frustrated by the direction of the club after further high-profile sales.
That tension echoes last summer’s Alexander Isak saga. Newcastle are desperate to avoid a repeat, and are trying to settle the situation before it escalates into another drawn-out standoff.
His future is likely to be resolved after the World Cup. Guimaraes is currently with Brazil in North America, with his club situation set to dominate the weeks that follow the tournament.
