Chelsea have inserted themselves into the transfer race for Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, according to journalist Ekrem Konur.
The Blues made headlines earlier this week by agreeing a £117 million deal with Aston Villa for Morgan Rogers, a player Arsenal had also been strongly pursuing.
Chelsea now appear intent on repeating that hijacking act by rivalling Arsenal for Guimaraes, who Newcastle value at £80 million this summer.
Arsenal had already made a concrete move for the Brazilian, submitting an offer worth £68 million including bonuses after agreeing personal terms with the player.
However, Newcastle are holding firm on their £80 million asking price for their captain, leaving Arsenal’s bid short of what the club require.
Chelsea’s financial strength gives them a significant advantage over Arsenal in any bidding war for the Newcastle skipper’s signature.
The potential departure of Enzo Fernandez from Stamford Bridge has added further urgency to Chelsea’s pursuit of a dynamic midfielder of Guimaraes’ calibre.
At 28, Guimaraes would slot naturally into Xabi Alonso’s system, offering ball-carrying ability, creativity in possession, and a strong defensive work-rate to press and dominate opponents physically and aerially.
Arsenal, meanwhile, face a more complicated decision given their already stacked midfield options, which include Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Martin Zubimendi, and Mikel Merino.
The Gunners are also actively looking to add a left winger this summer, which raises questions about whether they can stretch their budget to meet Newcastle’s demands in midfield as well.
Guimaraes is reported to be motivated by the desire to challenge for major honours, a factor that both clubs can present compelling arguments for.
At Chelsea, however, he would arguably face less competition for a starting berth and could establish himself as one of the first names on Alonso’s team sheet.
With Chelsea having already beaten Arsenal to Morgan Rogers, the north London club will be determined not to lose another prime target to their Premier League rivals.