Arsenal have completed the signing of Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle for £75million.
The Brazil midfielder has signed a four-year deal at the Emirates with the option for a further 12 months and ends a protracted saga with Newcastle eventually admitting defeat in their bid to keep their captain.
Guimaraes joined Newcastle in January 2022 for £42m and made 153 Premier League appearances, scoring 30 goals and adding 26 assists. His former club Lyon are due 20 per cent of the profit Newcastle will make on the player.
Guimaraes posts emotional message to Newcastle after leaving for Arsenal
His exit is another blow to Newcastle who have already lost key players Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali this summer. Gordon went to Barcelona while Tonali opted to join Tottenham for combined fees in the region of £170m.
But losing Guimaraes will cut particularly deep for Newcastle fans.
He said: “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 [Howe] and the staff, and everyone connected with the club made me and my family feel at home.
“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 [new coach] 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.”
Guimaraes will add to Arsenal’s deep midfield reserves
Arsenal already boast arguably the best midfield in the Premier League with the likes of Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Martin Zubimendi and Eberechi Eze having helped them to the title last season.
But Gunners sporting director Andrea Berta believes the signing of Guimaraes will provide boss Mikel Arteta with another option.
He told the club’s official website: “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.”
Guimaraes targets trophies with Arsenal
Guimaraes helped Newcastle claim their first piece of domestic silverware in 70 years when they won the 2025 EFL Cup and he is hoping to add to his collection in North London.
“It’s massive what I have done so far, but I want more,” he said. “I want to win for Arsenal. I want to win more trophies in my career, and I think I’m in the right place, at my peak at 28 years old.
“I’m so excited to join. Here, wearing this shirt, you have to go for winning trophies, winning everything we can and make history.
“I want to put my name in the club history. Someday, when I leave, I want players to come here and say I want to do exactly what Bruno did for the club.
“I think it’s the best thing that a player can do for the club: create history and inspire the young.”
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