Arsenal are moving to sign Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes for around £75 million after the Brazilian told his current club he wants to join the Premier League champions. The two clubs now need to agree a fee.
It is the second time Arsenal have pursued Guimaraes. The Gunners wanted him when he was still at Lyon four years ago, only for him to choose Newcastle instead. His announcement video at the time even opened with clips of news headlines about Arsenal's interest.
At 28 and about to turn 29, Guimaraes is older than the typical profile of an Arteta signing. But having won a first Premier League title in 22 years and then lost the Champions League final to Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal are looking for a player who can make an immediate difference rather than one who needs time to develop.
As owner Josh Kroenke put it at the end of the season: "It is about trying to stay at the top knowing everyone is trying to climb the mountain after you."
Rice needs rest
One of the most pressing reasons Arsenal want Guimaraes is the condition of Declan Rice. The England midfielder played 69 matches for club and country last season. He played through a hamstring injury from Christmas onwards and was taken off early in England's victory over Croatia with neural pain in his back.
"The body's been through a lot this season," Rice said after England's World Cup semi-final defeat by Argentina. "I think you can see I'm mentally done, physically done. I need a break now."
Arsenal's title defence begins in less than a month. Having Guimaraes available would allow Arteta to manage Rice's workload rather than run him into the ground again.
Better numbers than Rice
Guimaraes is not simply cover, though. Over four and a half seasons at Newcastle he ranked in the top five midfielders in the Premier League for both tackles and chances created from open play. Only Rice and Bruno Fernandes have covered more ground since he joined the league.
His nine goals last season matched the combined total of Rice and Zubimendi, and his five assists equalled Rice's figure. He also attempted more through balls and line-breaking passes per game than either of them. His 13 chances created from ball carries outstripped Rice's eight and Zubimendi's three combined.
He has 48 caps for Brazil and represented his country at each of the last two World Cups.
The problem he solves
Arsenal have leaned heavily on the right side of their attack, with Bukayo Saka as the primary threat and Martin Odegaard also tending to drift in that direction. The middle of the pitch has been underused as a route to goal. Guimaraes creates a far higher proportion of his chances from central areas and, frequently, from deep, which is where he could most clearly improve Arsenal.
Against low blocks, that ability to play a splitting pass from deep has been something Arsenal have lacked. The point was illustrated in their Champions League semi-final win over Atletico Madrid: William Saliba played a ball in behind that led to Saka's winning goal, yet in the same match the Arsenal crowd grew frustrated when Rice had a similar opportunity and passed it sideways instead.
Guimaraes, by contrast, showed in a league meeting against Arsenal last season that he prefers to get attacks moving quickly. He played a defence-splitting pass through to Jacob Murphy rather than letting the defence reset.
His delivery from set pieces is also a strength, with a couple of assists coming from corners last term, which matters for a side that treats dead balls as a primary attacking weapon.
Versatility is the final selling point. Guimaraes can play as a box-to-box midfielder, a deep-lying playmaker or a ball-winner. That means Arteta can deploy him and Rice together in multiple combinations depending on the game, rather than having two players who occupy an identical role.
