Arsenal's renewed pursuit of Bruno Guimarães is back on the agenda, but it is really a story about how long this chase has already been going. Arsenal first tracked him in late 2019, contacted his representatives in 2020, and then watched Newcastle beat them to the deal before Lyon completed a €20m move in the January window.
The latest attempt has met the same resistance as the earlier ones. Newcastle rejected a reported £45million intermediary offer and insist he is not for sale.
The earlier near-misses
By 2022, Arsenal had another run at Guimarães and still came up short. The pattern is not complicated. They have liked the player for years, but the timing has rarely worked in their favour.
That 2020 episode matters because it shows this is not a new scouting crush. Arsenal were in early, then lost the race when Newcastle stepped in decisively. The same player later joined Newcastle for £40m, and the move turned into a much stronger long-term fit than Arsenal could offer at the time.
Newcastle's stance now
There is a reason Newcastle are holding firm. Since joining in 2022, Guimarães has scored 31 goals in 195 appearances, a return that explains why he is not being treated like a normal market opportunity. He also captained Newcastle to a major domestic trophy in 2025, becoming the first Newcastle captain in 70 years to lift one.
His World Cup form has also stayed strong, with a 7.39 average rating across 4 appearances and 4 goal contributions in 352 minutes. Arsenal are still chasing a midfield upgrade from a strong position, but Newcastle's answer has been clear: he is not for sale.
Mikel Arteta's side may keep circling, yet the evidence so far points the same way it did in 2020 and 2022. Newcastle have already rejected the latest approach, and Guimarães remains central to what they are building.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →