Mikel Arteta was not interested in talking about Bruno Guimarães after Arsenal's reported move for the Newcastle midfielder. "I'm not going to talk about any players who aren't Arsenal players," he said after the 3-1 defeat by Real Betis, before adding: "Well, I can tell you at the moment that something happens and we can announce it. I will give you my straight answer."
Arteta's response after the Betis defeat
The Betis match gave the story an awkward setting. Piero Hincapie was the only Arsenal player to score, heading in from a corner, but the post-match focus quickly shifted to Guimarães and a reported £75m agreement with Newcastle.
Arteta's response was direct enough. He did not pretend the question was not there, he simply refused to engage with it until the club were ready to say more.
Why Arsenal want Guimaraes
The interest is easy to understand from the numbers attached to Guimarães' Newcastle career. He has 30 goals and 26 assists in 153 Premier League appearances, which is a strong output for a midfielder and a decent explanation for why Arsenal have pushed this far.
The report also says he is due to undergo his medical in the coming days after leaving Newcastle's pre-season training camp in Spain. That sits alongside the suggestion that Arsenal first offered £60m, with Newcastle holding out for £80m before the two clubs settled at £75m.
Arteta may not be willing to confirm anything yet, but the shape of the deal suggests Arsenal are moving quickly. For now, the manager's line is the clearest part of the story, and it leaves the final step to the club rather than the press room.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
