Should Arsenal get the Bruno deal done, as anticipated, then you would be hard pressed to find a more balanced midfield in the whole of Europe.
Even individually, Guimaraes is one of the finest central midfielders on the planet. Not only does the Brazilian run tirelessly and bite into tackles, but he also has the composure and vision to pick out a pass in the final third, and the shooting ability and attacking nous to find the back of the net – reflected in his 15 goal contributions in the Premier League alone last season, the most productive of his career to date.
Bruno’s importance to Newcastle is underlined by the fact that the Magpies have won just two of the 16 matches he has missed since arriving from Lyon in January 2022. Their 1.8 points per game ratio with him in the team falls to 0.7 without him, per Opta.
The 28-year-old was at his creative best for Brazil at the World Cup this summer, where he was arguably the Selecao’s most important player alongside fellow Arsenal target Vinicius Jr, racking up four assists in four games before Carlo Ancelotti’s side was dumped out in the last 16. Only France dynamo Michael Olise registered more.
Crucially, he is another on-pitch, Premier League-proven leader for the Gunners, too, bringing plenty of experience and know-how to what is still a relatively young squad as he enters his peak years.
