Jamie Carragher has turned Bruno Guimarães's proposed £75m move to Arsenal into a question about Martín Zubimendi's place. Carragher's view is blunt: Arsenal are not just adding another midfielder, they are adding someone who could make the last summer signing redundant. Zubimendi made a bright start after his £60m move from Real Sociedad, but he lost his place towards the end of the season.
Carragher's warning on Zubimendi
Carragher said Arsenal look as if they are trying to dominate on more than one front. "I think it's interesting because when I look at what Arsenal are trying to do this summer, I think it's a case of "we're going to win the league again and we're going to go for the Champions League". It looks very much like they're trying to dominate," he told metro.co.uk.
He went further on Zubimendi. "Do you think it's the end for Zubimendi there? In terms of being what he was supposed to be when he was brought in. He was supposed to come in and be this controller. I don't see him ever getting that place back now."
The numbers around Guimaraes support why Arsenal are keen. He has a 7.11 rating across his last 5 appearances and 4 goal contributions in that run. Zubimendi's recent 6.6 rating and 21 minutes in his latest reported appearance point the other way.
Arsenal's crowded midfield picture
The move would drop Guimaraes into a midfield that already includes Declan Rice?, Martin Odegaard?, Mikel Merino?, Eberechi Eze?, Myles Lewis-Skelly? and Zubimendi. Arsenal won the Premier League title last season, so this is not a squad short on quality. It is a question of who starts, who sits out and whether Arteta wants another high-end option for a side already built to win.
Claude Makelele sees the fit differently. Speaking to metro.co.uk, he said: "Bruno Guimaraes is an ambitious player who sees his career one way: Champions League football, always, and teams built to win titles in Europe. Arsenal tick every box."
Makelele also backed the move itself. "It's always right for a good player to join a great team, and Arsenal have done great business. Bruno Guimaraes is a very good player, exceptional, as we saw with Brazil. It's his career and his decision, but his game fits Arsenal perfectly."
Carragher's concern is the more interesting one. Arsenal can call it depth if they want, but the size of the fee and the profile of the player suggest something bigger than cover. They are chasing a midfielder who changes the pecking order, and Zubimendi looks like the likeliest one to pay for it.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →
