Arsenal confirm £75m signing of Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes

Arsenal have officially confirmed the signing of Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes on a long-term contract, with the Brazilian midfielder reportedly joining the Premier League champions for a fee of £75 million.

The Gunners had been in negotiations to bring the 28-year-old to the Emirates Stadium for several weeks, with Bruno Guimaraes telling Newcastle that he wanted to leave the club and take on a new challenge with Arsenal.

The move sees Arsenal add an experienced and versatile midfielder to their squad as they look to build on their success and compete for more major honours.

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta praised Guimaraes’ mentality, quality and leadership following the completion of the deal.

“Bruno is a player with a great mentality and great quality, who will bring strong leadership to our squad,” Berta said.

“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 becomes Arsenal’s third signing of the summer transfer window, following the arrivals of free agent Illan Meslier and Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge.

Guimaraes leaves Newcastle after four years

Guimaraes joined Lyon in January 2022 and quickly became one of Newcastle’s most influential players after moving to the Premier League.

During his time at St James’ Park, the midfielder made 195 appearances in all competitions and scored 31 goals.

The Brazilian eventually became Newcastle captain and played a central role in one of the most memorable moments in the club’s recent history.

Guimaraes lifted the Carabao Cup after Newcastle defeated Liverpool in the 2025 final, securing the club’s first major trophy in 56 years.

His performances also helped Newcastle establish themselves as regular contenders for European football. The Magpies qualified for the Champions League twice during his time at the club, while Guimaraes developed a reputation as one of the Premier League’s leading midfielders.

The midfielder enjoyed the most prolific goalscoring campaign of his career in the 2025/26 season, scoring nine goals in 29 Premier League appearances.

He then produced an impressive campaign with Brazil at the World Cup, registering four assists before his side were eliminated by Norway in the last 16.

Emotional farewell to Newcastle

Guimaraes admitted that leaving Newcastle was one of the most difficult decisions of his career and paid an emotional tribute to the club, supporters and everyone who had helped him during his time on Tyneside.

“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,” Guimaraes said.

“I fell in love with this place. I really mean that. From my first day, the supporters, my teammates, Eddie and the staff, and everyone connected with the club made me and my family feel at home.”

The new Arsenal signing added that while leaving Newcastle was difficult, he felt ready for a fresh challenge.

“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.”

Guimaraes also praised new Newcastle manager Matthias Jaissle, saying he leaves the club confident that it is in good hands.

“I had a very positive conversation with 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.”

Newcastle face major rebuild

Guimaraes’ departure represents another significant change at Newcastle, with Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon also heading through the exit door.

The club have also undergone a managerial change, with Eddie Howe resigning from his position before being replaced by Matthias Jaissle.

Newcastle have responded with a number of new arrivals as they begin to reshape the squad.

The Magpies have signed Ewen Jaouen from Reims, Bazoumana Toure from Hoffenheim, Sean Steur from Ajax, Aladji Bamba from Monaco and Lukas Hornicek from Braga.

For Arsenal, meanwhile, the arrival of Guimaraes represents another major statement of intent. His ability to operate as both a defensive midfielder and a box-to-box player should give Mikel Arteta greater tactical flexibility as the Gunners continue their pursuit of domestic and European success.