We check out the qualities the Brazilian midfielder may convey to Mikel Arteta’s aspect
Arsenal have accomplished the signing of Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimaraes, bolstering their midfield choices forward of their Premier League title defence.
Guimaraes, who began all 5 of Brazil’s matches on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, joins up with Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Martinelli, and Gabriel Jesus – to develop Arsenal’s Brazilian contingent.
And he joins a stacked midfield, which can depart some Arsenal supporters questioning why supervisor Mikel Arteta was prepared to spend huge on one other man within the center.
Listed here are 5 explanation why Arsenal have signed him.
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1. His defensive work outstrips Arteta’s present midfield choices
What most defines Guimaraes, no less than within the imaginations of Premier League viewers, is his excellent defensive work.
He’s a hard-battling participant, each sturdy within the deal with and sharp within the 50-50, because the statistics present.
In 2025/26, Guimaraes made extra tackles per 90 and gained extra floor duels per 90 than any Arsenal central midfielder, whereas solely Declan Rice recovered the ball extra usually:
Guimaraes v Arsenal midfielders, defensive actions per 90, 25/26
| Participant | Floor duels gained | Tackles gained | Deal with success price (%) | Recoveries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guimaraes | 5.7 | 1.6 | 69.4% | 5.0 |
| Rice | 2.8 | 1.0 | 50.0% | 5.2 |
| Zubimendi | 2.6 | 1.1 | 55.9% | 3.5 |
| Lewis-Skelly | 4.1 | 0.6 | 62.5% | 3.9 |
| Odegaard | 2.4 | 0.5 | 42.1% | 4.6 |
| Merino | 4.5 | 1.1 | 50.0% | 5.0 |
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It makes Guimaraes one of many Premier League’s most spectacular defensive-minded midfielders, including to Arsenal’s world-leading defence.
2. Midfield versatility provides Arteta choices
The brand new Arsenal midfielder can be in a position to play in a number of totally different roles.
He started his profession at Newcastle enjoying on the base of midfield as a No 6 – an out-and-out defensive midfielder – however extra not too long ago has excelled as a No 8, shuttling up and down in a box-to-box position.
Arteta loves midfielders like that. Mikel Merino, Rice, and Martin Zubimendi are additionally able to enjoying as a No 6 or an No 8, and the addition of an elite midfielder in Guimaraes ensures the Arsenal supervisor has a number of totally different tactical choices.
For instance, Rice may very well be freed to play larger up the pitch by a sitting Guimaraes, or the Brazilian may maraud ahead at occasions when Arsenal want extra urgency of their play.
As the next statistics present, Guimaraes is extra direct than Arsenal’s different midfield choices, exhibiting a better willingness to be forward-thinking.
Guimaraes v Arsenal midfielders, passes per 90, 25/26
| Participant | Correct-forward passes | Lengthy-passes accomplished |
|---|---|---|
| Guimaraes | 12.0 | 3.0 |
| Rice | 11.4 | 2.6 |
| Zubimendi | 11.1 | 1.6 |
| Lewis-Skelly | 9.5 | 1.2 |
| Odegaard | 11.5 | 2.5 |
| Merino | 6.4 | 0.7 |
Getting across the pitch and at all times on the lookout for the line-breaking choice, Guimaraes is among the finest, busting a intestine to maneuver his group into superior areas as shortly as potential. These are the qualities that make him so versatile.
3. Guimaraes affords a major purpose risk
One expression of that versatility is Guimaraes’s goalscoring and goal-creating qualities, that are simply as spectacular as his defensive numbers.
He scored 30 targets and assisted one other 25 in 153 Premier League matches for Newcastle, contributing a purpose or help each three matches, on common.
Final season, Guimaraes scored 9 targets and assisted an additional 5, which was not solely one of the productive of his profession but in addition greater than every other Newcastle participant.
Guimaraes’ shot placement map, 25/26
And virtually greater than any Arsenal participant, too. Solely striker Viktor Gyokeres (14) scored extra Premier League targets than Bruno or contributed extra mixed targets and assists than the brand new Arsenal midfielder.
Guimaraes’ purpose contributions in comparison with Arsenal and Newcastle gamers, 25/26*
| Participant | Targets and assists |
|---|---|
| Gyokeres | 15 |
| Guimaraes | 14 |
| Trossard | 12 |
| Saka | 12 |
| Woltemade | 11 |
Guimaraes provides Arteta a purpose risk from deep that was missing in 2025/26. In tight matches particularly, that might make all of the distinction.
4. Set-piece high quality can enhance Arsenal’s corners much more
Everyone knows that set-pieces are one in all Arsenal’s most vital goalscoring strategies and Guimaraes can take the membership to an excellent larger stage on this regard.
To start with, he wins an enormous variety of fouls, on common 2.6 per recreation final season, the second-most within the Premier League, suggesting Arsenal may win extra dead-balls in 2026/27.
Most fouled Premier League gamers, 25/26
| Participant | Most fouled per 90 |
|---|---|
| Grealish | 2.9 |
| Guimaraes | 2.6 |
| Summerville | 2.2 |
| Anderson | 2.1 |
| Doku | 2.0 |
However Guimaraes can be an excellent set-piece taker.
So good, in actual fact, that again in December he scored immediately from a nook in a 2-1 victory over Burnley.
Guimaraes’ crossing from corners is, statistically, even higher than Rice and Bukayo Saka‘s, with 25 per cent of his corners final season resulting in a shot from the primary contact.
Guimaraes’ corners in comparison with Rice and Saka, 25/26
| Statistic | Guimaraes | Rice | Saka |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corners taken | 44 | 95 | 65 |
| Crew corners taken % | 19.1% | 44.0% | 30.1% |
| First involvement shot | 11 | 16 | 11 |
| First involvement purpose | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Corners resulting in first involvement shot or purpose % | 25% | 16.8% | 16.9% |
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That 25 per cent determine is among the many best possible within the Premier League.
| Corners | First involvement shot | Corners resulting in first involvement shot % | |
| Ward-Prowse | 52 | 16 | 30.8% |
| Mbeumo | 49 | 13 | 26.5% |
| Stach | 102 | 27 | 26.5% |
| Wharton | 43 | 11 | 25.6% |
| Guimaraes | 44 | 11 | 25.0% |
| Iwobi | 41 | 10 | 24.4% |
Once more, that is about versatility and elevated choices for Arteta. Any more, he can relaxation or withdraw Rice with out dropping set-piece specialty.
5. Bruno can take Arsenal to a ‘totally different stage’
“Quite a bit is occurring,” Arteta informed membership media earlier this week. “Everyone knows concerning the context of this switch window.
“From possession to the board, the sporting director and myself, we all know that we need to take this membership to a distinct stage. That’s going to require a greater squad, higher people.”
Guimaraes very a lot matches the requirement of reaching a “totally different stage”.
Bruno is a massively skilled Premier League worldwide (he assisted 4 targets at this yr’s World Cup, by the way) and brings management qualities to the group.
Greater than that, he’s a star: able to sprinkling a little bit of magic onto the Arsenal assault.
The highlights reel of his finest moments is a few watch. Take this, for instance, an outrageous back-heel end from a nook in opposition to Southampton in 2022. Or how about his outstanding no-look, over-the-top clipped go versus Wolves in 2024. Or an outrageous outside-of-the-boot cross for a Dan Burn purpose in opposition to Fulham in 2023.
Watch: The BEST OF Bruno Guimaraes
Arsenal weren’t wanting top-quality footballers. However they arguably didn’t have one as full – as defensively astute and offensively sensible, as able to mucking-in and dazzling – till Guimaraes arrived.
