ARSENAL have signed Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle for £75million.
The Gunners confirmed the Brazilian’s arrival on Saturday, almost exactly a month after he asked to leave St James’ Park.
Bruno Guimaraes grins as he finally signs his Arsenal contract Credit: Getty
Bruno Guimaraes has joined Arsenal in a £75m deal Credit: PA
Guimaraes, 28, signed a four-year deal with an option to extend until 2031 after completing his medical on Thursday.
Newcastle had been reluctant to sell their skipper but they caved in after Arsenal offered to pay the full fee up front.
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The North Londoners are long-standing admirers of Guimaraes, and Mikel Arteta was desperate to capture him in this window.
Former Gunners sporting director Edu started tracking him as a youngster at Athletico Paranaense and the club continued to keep tabs on him at Lyon and Newcastle.
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Guimaraes said after his arrival: “Well, I feel good, I feel amazing. I’m glad for the opportunity. Since the first time I spoke to [Arsenal sporting director Andrea] Berta and Mikel [Arteta], I was excited.
“I just felt inside of me that I need a new challenge in my life and I think to be an Arsenal player is going to be an exciting challenge in my life.
“I’m so excited to join them, not only the Brazilians, we have an amazing squad here. I’m so excited to meet the other players, to start training. I just want to give my best.
“I want to win trophies, I want to make history and I think I’m in the right place to do it. I’m so excited to start.
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“We have tough games to play this season, so the squad is going to be very, very important and I’m hopeful we can achieve our dreams.
“[Declan] Rice sent me a message: ‘Come here and please no more fights, now we’re friends’. I was happy he messaged me, but the midfield we have here, in my point of view, is one of the best in Europe.
“Everyone is an amazing player, I’m so excited to start chatting and play, and know the players very, very well, but we have an amazing midfield.
“The message for me is thank you for everything you have done. All the messages you gave me, I’m so excited to join you. I will give you my best, I promise.
“Like I said, I’m your warrior, I’ll never give up. Hopefully we can create many, many good memories together.”
Berta welcomed Guimaraes to the Emirates and explained Arsenal went full on for his signature due to his versatility in midfield.
The Italian executive added the Brazil international will help Arteta further develop the North Londoners’ “playing style”.
Berta said: “We are delighted to welcome Bruno Guimaraes to our club. Bruno is a player with a great mentality and great quality, who will bring strong leadership to our squad.
“With Bruno joining us, we are further strengthening the heart of our team. As we have all seen, Bruno can play as a defensive midfielder and as a box-to-box player.
“He combines quality with quantity, and has provided goals and assists for his team every year.
“Bruno will allow Mikel to further develop our playing style and will also increase our internal competitiveness, which is essential for maintaining the standards required when we are aiming to win major trophies.”
This has been a painful transfer window for the Toon, who have lost a raft of key players and manager Eddie Howe.
Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali were both sold for big money, but the looming sale of Guimaraes was reportedly the “final straw” for Howe, who quit last week.
New boss Matthias Jaissle should have cash for a rebuild but about £7m of the Guimaraes fee will go to Lyon, who are entitled to 20 per cent of the Magpies’ profit.
Guimaraes broke down in tears as he said goodbye to his Newcastle team-mates.
Mikel Arteta has his man as he embraces Bruno Guimaraes Credit: Getty
Bruno Guimaraes embraces Arsenal chief Andrea Berta Credit: Getty
He said in a statement to the Toon: “This is one of the toughest decisions of my life. When I arrived, the club was in a challenging position and I am incredibly proud of what we achieved together.
“I fell in love with this place. I really mean that. From my first day, the supporters, my teammates, Eddie and the staff, and everyone connected with the club made me and my family feel at home.
“I thank PIF, our chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan and Jamie Reuben for everything they have done for me and for this football club. I also want to say thank you to David and Ross for the huge respect to me throughout this process. They did everything they could to keep me at Newcastle, and I am very grateful for our time together.
“This move is very tough because Newcastle means so much to me, but I wanted to experience something new in my life. I feel ready for a new challenge for myself and my family. I had a very positive conversation with Matthias Jaissle, and I leave knowing the club is in very good hands.
“To the supporters, thank you will never be enough, but I say it with all my heart. I will always be proud to have been part of this club’s journey. Thank you for everything.”
Arsenal had already signed Christos Tzolis and Illan Meslier this summer, as well as making Piero Hincapie’s loan move permanent.
But the signing of an established Premier League star in Guimaraes will take their squad to another level.
It will also relieve some of the burden from Declan Rice, who played over 60 matches for club and country last season and carried niggling injuries into the World Cup.
All-action Guimaraes, who scored nine league goals last term, can also bring an attacking flair to the midfield.
Josh Kroenke described Rice as a “plug-and-play” signing when Arsenal splashed £105m on him in 2023.
Guimaraes will be expected to make a similar impact at the Emirates.
And his arrival will make up for missing out on Vinicius Jr, who opted to sign a contract extension at Real Madrid after being courted by the Gunners.
