Arsenal are being asked to spend more than £100 million to sign Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes this summer, according to The Telegraph.
The Gunners have identified the Brazilian as a top midfield target and made an initial verbal offer of around £55 million to secure his services.
Newcastle rejected that opening approach outright, with the Magpies making clear they value their captain far higher than Arsenal’s first bid suggested.
Arsenal are poised to return with a second offer, but The Telegraph report that Newcastle will not entertain selling unless the fee exceeds £100 million.
There is a belief within Arsenal’s camp that they will not offer anything close to that reported asking price, making a deal appear increasingly difficult.
Guimaraes has firmly established himself as one of the Premier League’s finest defensive midfielders despite an injury-plagued 2025/26 campaign with Newcastle.
The Brazilian averaged an impressive six duels and two tackles per game, posting four recoveries per match while contributing 15 goal contributions in the league.
Only two of his nine league goals came from the penalty spot, underlining the genuine attacking threat he poses from a midfield position.
Described as “complete” by Sky Sports, the 28-year-old would be considered an ideal partner for Declan Rice in Arsenal’s engine room next season.
With Rice managing nerve hamstring pain, having Guimaraes available would allow the Gunners to rotate him alongside Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Merino, or Myles Lewis-Skelly.
The former Lyon man would represent a genuine upgrade for Arsenal, but the club’s reluctance to overspend is likely to prove a significant obstacle in negotiations.
Guimaraes turns 29 in November, meaning Arsenal would have limited resale value on any substantial investment made in the midfielder at this stage of his career.
A fee of £65 to £70 million would already carry considerable financial risk given his age and the possibility of a performance decline heading into his early thirties.
Paying over £100 million for the Newcastle captain therefore looks highly unlikely from Arsenal’s perspective under the current circumstances.
However, Guimaraes could yet force the issue himself, as he will enter the final two years of his contract in July with no renewal agreed.
Newcastle are currently reported to be optimistic that their talismanic captain will commit to an improved deal and remain at St. James’ Park.