Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes has informed the club he wishes to join Arsenal, Sky Sports News has been told. Newcastle remain silent on the matter, and Arsenal have not formally contacted the club, though intermediaries are reported to have sounded out potential deal terms.
Guimaraes, 28, is under contract at St James’ Park for two more seasons, with an option to extend into the summer of 2029. Despite his stated desire to leave, Newcastle have repeatedly insisted through the summer that their captain is not for sale and that they will not welcome offers.
The Brazil midfielder moved to Newcastle from Lyon for around £35m in January 2022 and has since become a central figure at the club. He helped lead the side to their first domestic trophy in seven decades, lifting the Carabao Cup, and has become a clear fan favourite. He missed a penalty as Brazil were eliminated by Norway in the World Cup last 16.
Newcastle are determined to avoid further high-profile departures after a summer in which they saw key players exit. Forward Alexander Isak left for Liverpool amid a drawn-out transfer saga last summer, while Anthony Gordon was sold to Barcelona and Sandro Tonali moved to Tottenham — deals that together significantly increased the club’s transfer receipts and helped with financial rules. Those sales nevertheless left gaps and prompted a difficult domestic campaign; Newcastle finished 12th last season as manager Eddie Howe struggled to replace departed talent.
Howe and the board are understood to be keen to retain Guimaraes to prevent another major rebuilding job. Losing the captain would be viewed as a substantial blow to team stability and structure, not least because of his leadership role and influence in midfield.
Sky Sports News sources say there has been no formal bid from Arsenal and no direct contact between the clubs, though conversations via agents or intermediaries are believed to have explored an exit. Club officials maintain their long-standing stance that Guimaraes is not available this window.
Any transfer battle would pose a difficult choice for Newcastle given the player’s contract, importance to the squad and the precedent set by recent big-money exits. For now, the situation remains one of interest and internal negotiation rather than an active public transfer approach from Arsenal.