Newcastle United sporting director Ross Wilson has admitted the club did not want to sell captain Bruno Guimaraes, following reports linking the Brazil midfielder with a move to Arsenal.

British media reported on Wednesday that Arsenal had agreed a deal worth £75 million ($100 million) for the 28-year-old. Neither club has confirmed the reported transfer, while both have declined to comment on the claims.

“We didn’t want to sell Bruno. It wasn’t in the plan to sell Bruno. None of us – or ownership – wanted to sell Bruno,” Wilson told reporters at Newcastle United’s pre-season training camp in Spain.

Guimaraes was a key figure for Newcastle and wore the captain’s armband as the club ended a long wait for domestic silverware by winning the League Cup in 2025.

Wilson acknowledged the significance of the reported fee, but said the club ultimately had to respect the player’s desire to seek a new challenge.

“He’s our captain, he was very important to us, and the debate over his price – it’s a world-record fee for a player of his age,” Wilson said.

“What we had to weigh up was, very respectfully from Bruno with his behaviour towards us, very emotionally as well, effectively told us he wanted to leave and move on.

Guimaraes joined Lyon in January 2022 before moving to Newcastle, and has since established himself as one of the club’s most important players. He has made 195 appearances in all competitions for the Magpies, scoring 31 goals.

His departure would represent a major change for Newcastle, particularly given his importance both on and off the pitch.

Wilson insisted, however, that the transfer was not part of the club’s original plans for the summer.

“There’s no part in saying (the transfer) was part of our strategy and was in our thinking this summer – it wasn’t. But we have got to be flexible and react to things that happen,” he said.

The sporting director added that Newcastle must be prepared to adapt in the transfer market when circumstances change.

“It might have been in our plan to sign one player, but we didn’t get him so we move on to another. We can only be honest about that.”

Guimaraes’ potential departure would add to a period of significant change at Newcastle, following the exits of Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and manager Eddie Howe.

The Magpies are now preparing for the new Premier League campaign, with their opening fixture coming against Liverpool on August 23.

For Newcastle, the challenge will be to move forward without one of the most influential figures of their recent revival – should Guimaraes’ reported move ultimately be completed.