“Bizarre” Arsenal transfer strategy with Bruno Guimaraes baffled Newcastle

It seems Arsenal reportedly left Newcastle United somewhat baffled with their unusual approach regarding Bruno Guimaraes.

The Brazil international is now widely expected to complete a move to the Emirates Stadium after a protracted saga that has dragged on for weeks.

DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL CAUGHTOFFSIDE APP FOR ALL THE LATEST & BREAKING UPDATES – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAY

It seems one complication may have been that Arsenal refused for a long time to actually make contact with Newcastle to discuss the deal, which was mostly done via agents and intermediaries at first.

See below for a detailed look inside the deal from Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie, who shared some interesting information on X…

? Attempts to persuade him otherwise and positive conversations were held, but Bruno was… https://t.co/GqUbEsMtC5 pic.twitter.com/XU6lJ5MBzp

— Keith Downie (@SkySports_Keith) August 5, 2026

? Newcastle did NOT want to sell, and were desperate to keep Bruno Guimarães. If Bruno had said he wanted to stay, Newcastle would have refused ANY offer from Arsenal or any other club. 

? Attempts to persuade him otherwise and positive conversations were held, but Bruno was… https://t.co/GqUbEsMtC5 pic.twitter.com/XU6lJ5MBzp

— Keith Downie (@SkySports_Keith) August 5, 2026

Downie has insisted Newcastle did not want to sell Guimaraes, but were ultimately prepared to do so on their terms.

This means the Magpies insisted on proper behaviour from Guimaraes, who was told to report for pre-season, unlike Alexander Isak last year.

Ultimately, it seems they have parted on good terms, and with Newcastle feeling that they got a good deal despite Arsenal initially trying to sign the 28-year-old for as little as £40-45m.

Want more CaughtOffside coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust

Bruno Guimaraes pushed for Arsenal transfer

Guimaraes was clearly eager to get the move to Arsenal, and that seems to have been another key factor here.

The former Lyon man supposedly saw this as a big opportunity to win major silverware, and at his age it certainly seems likely that it could be his last big move.

“Attempts to persuade him otherwise and positive conversations were held, but Bruno was insistent he wanted to leave because he felt this was his last big opportunity to win titles,” Downie posted.

Arsenal fans will undoubtedly be delighted to see that Guimaraes was so keen to join, and that he has such strong belief in Mikel Arteta’s project.

Another corner threat for the Gunners next season…? pic.twitter.com/EejH3k8AUw

— CaughtOffside (@caughtoffside) August 5, 2026

? Bruno Guimaraes to Arsenal is a DONE DEAL!!!

Another corner threat for the Gunners next season…? pic.twitter.com/EejH3k8AUw

— CaughtOffside (@caughtoffside) August 5, 2026

Arteta’s side won the Premier League title last season and reached the Champions League final, where they were unlucky to only lose on penalties against Paris Saint-Germain.

Adding quality like Guimaraes will surely only help Arsenal to retain their title and perhaps finally go that step further to conquer Europe.