‘We have spoken’ - Bruno Guimaraes comments on Man City and Arsenal links amid £100m reports

Premier League title hopefuls Arsenal and Manchester City are both expected to step up their efforts to land £100m rated Newcastle United star Bruno Guimaraes in the January transfer window, according to reports from Caught Offside.

The Brazilian international has had a transformative effect on Newcastle’s fortunes since his £40m move from Lyon in January 2022 and has established himself as one of the most important players of the Eddie Howe regime. Guimaraes has racked up 121 appearances for Newcastle across all competitions and has scored 17 goals and registered 17 assists.

The Rio De Janeiro-born defensive midfielder is renowned for his tireless work ethic, excellent ball control, aggression and his incredible eye for a pass. He is also known for his incredible in game intelligence and composure and is the most fouled player in the Premier League by some distance (44) compared to joint second place Cole Palmer and Anthony Gordon (26).

His importance to Newcastle has seen him succeed Jamaal Lascelles as the club captain and has seen him play almost every minute of every league game this season. The Brazillian’s tremendous form makes him a target for Arsenal, who are currently trailing leaders Liverpool by nine points in the title race. The Gunners already have a strong midfield featuring £100m man Declan Rice, former Magpie Mikel Merino, Martin Odegaard, Jorginho and Thomas Partey. However, Guimaraes is highly admired by Mikel Arteta and is someone who the Spaniard feels could aid the club’s title push.

Manchester City are also blessed with an equally-talented midfield featuring Ilkay Gundogan, Mateo Kovacic, Kevin de Bruyne and Bernardo Silva. But they have struggled to dominate games in the same way since Ballon d’Or winner Rodri sustained an ACL injury against the Gunners. The Premier League holders are currently on a four-match losing streak in all competitions for the first time in the Pep Guardiola era and are thought to be scouring the market for a player to fill Rodri’s void in the team.

Newcastle are desperate to retain the 27-year-old, who is contracted until 2028. The Brazilian’s deal did initially include a release clause of £100m but this expired at the end of June 2024. Commenting on the interest, Guimaraes said that while he was flattered by Guardiola’s admiration of him, he remains focused on the task at hand at St James’ Park.

He told Brazilian newspaper Globo: “I believe that at my club I am an idol and I have a lot of respect. I am the captain of Newcastle and it is something that if you had asked me three years ago, my biggest dream would have been to play in the Premier League. Playing, being an idol, being captain is something wonderful. I really like Newcastle.

“Of course, having Manchester City's interest shows that I am at a high level, but it was nothing more than interest. I know that Guardiola likes my football, it is normal to have great coaches who admire your football. We have spoken once, I praised his work, he praised my work, but it was nothing more than that.”