Arsenal’s chase for Bruno Guimarães has reached the stage where the fallback is already being discussed. Teamtalk says the club have sent unofficial bids of £55m and £65m, with a third offer of around £70m expected soon, and that personal terms with the midfielder are already agreed. If Newcastle refuse again, Alex Scott is said to be the alternative.

Newcastle's position on Guimaraes

The other side of the story is still Newcastle’s resistance. Eddie Howe said, "We absolutely love him and, of course, everyone would want him to stay." That sits against Alan Pardew’s view that Guimaraes is headed for the exit, with the former Newcastle manager telling chroniclelive.co.uk: "It will be a massive loss for them. I think his love has gone. I can't see him staying there and being the same player, so I think it's going to be a question of as much money as possible. I think that's where the Newcastle board will sit."

Guimaraes’ numbers this summer make the attraction obvious enough. He has 4 goal contributions in 5 appearances at the 2026 World Cup, played 431 minutes, and carries a 7.11 rating across the tournament. Newcastle finished 12th in the Premier League, and that has not made them any more willing to let a senior player go cheaply.

Alex Scott as the fallback

CaughtOffside says Arsenal have already decided that Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott is the alternative if Newcastle keep Guimaraes. That is the more interesting part of the story. Scott is not a speculative name being thrown into the mix, because Chelsea’s £64m bid was rejected by Bournemouth, he has two years left on his contract, and he declined a new deal that would have included a release clause.

That leaves Arsenal with a clear hierarchy. Guimaraes is the first choice, but Scott is not an emergency shout from nowhere. Arsenal appear to have a second target lined up before the next round of talks even arrives, and that is usually a sign the club expect this one to drag on.

The real test now is whether the next bid meets Newcastle’s price. Until then, Arsenal have one midfielder they want and another they are already prepared to chase.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →