Bruno Guimaraes set for Arsenal move as Newcastle brace for exits
Arsenal are closing in on the signing that could define their title defence. Bruno Guimaraes has been given permission to travel to London and complete a £75m move from Newcastle United, a transfer that slices straight through the heart of Eddie Howe’s team and hands Mikel Arteta the midfield general he has long wanted.
The 28-year-old is expected to undergo a medical with the Premier League champions in the coming days after the clubs agreed a fee. Barring late drama, the announcement will follow swiftly. For Arsenal, it is a statement. For Newcastle, it feels like another wrench.
Guimaraes has been the emotional and tactical centre of Newcastle’s resurgence, the captain who set the tone in and out of possession. Now he follows Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali out of the door in a single summer that is stripping Howe of pillars rather than merely squad pieces. Newcastle insist the exodus stops here, but the damage is already heavy.
Arteta, by contrast, is about to add one of Europe’s most complete midfielders to a squad that already sits at the summit. Guimaraes can screen, dictate, and surge. He can anchor or advance. He gives Arsenal the option to reshape the balance behind their attacking lines without losing control of the ball or the tempo. This is not depth; this is a new dimension.
Arsenal’s Vinicius Jr dream stalls
The London club are not done dreaming big. Having moved decisively for Guimaraes, Arsenal have been pushing to reunite him with Brazil team-mate Vinicius Jr. The reality is biting, though.
The Independent understands Arsenal now believe Vinicius is increasingly likely to stay at Real Madrid. The European champions have significantly improved their contract offer, edging far closer to what the 26-year-old wants. The mood around the deal has shifted. Where Arsenal once sensed an opening, the feeling on all sides now is that Madrid will keep their superstar and close the door on a Premier League switch.
So Guimaraes looks set to arrive as the headline act, not part of a Brazilian double bill.
Liverpool eye audacious PSG raid
While Arsenal lock down their midfield, Liverpool are plotting something far more explosive out wide. The club remain keen on Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola, but not at any price. PSG have been holding out for around £140m, a figure Liverpool are trying to drag down.
A development in Paris may help. PSG are set to sign Monaco’s France international Maghnes Akliouche in a £42.8m deal. That move could loosen their stance on Barcola, who suddenly has a potential replacement walking through the door.
Just as it looked like Liverpool might pivot away from Barcola, another name from the same dressing room has entered the frame. Ibrahim Mbaye is also on their radar. Reports in France suggest the plan is not “either-or” but “both”.
Fabrice Hawkins of RMC Sport reports that Liverpool would like to sign both Barcola and Mbaye in a sensational double swoop that could cost more than £200m. Andoni Iraola, now tasked with reshaping the attack after Mohamed Salah’s exit, wants fresh firepower on the right. Two of PSG’s wide players would certainly qualify.
It is a bold idea. It is also an expensive one. If Liverpool pull it off, the face of their front line changes overnight.
Newcastle dig in over Lewis Hall
Back at Newcastle, the message is clear: enough. With Guimaraes preparing to leave and Gordon already gone, the club are refusing to entertain another major departure.
Lewis Hall has emerged as Manchester United’s top target at left-back, with interest around the £60m mark. At 21, Hall fits United’s desire for a long-term solution in a problem position. The attraction is obvious.
Newcastle’s response is blunt. According to The Athletic, they are insisting Hall is not for sale. After sanctioning the exits of Tonali, Gordon and now Guimaraes, the hierarchy are determined to draw a line. United may have identified their man, but this time Newcastle intend to hold their ground.
Chelsea reshape their flanks
Chelsea’s churn continues. With Marc Cucurella moving on, the club are close to securing Rayo Vallecano left-back Pep Chavarria as his replacement. The 28-year-old has been identified with the help of Xabi Alonso, and his arrival would mark Chelsea’s 10th signing of the window.
It is another step in a sweeping rebuild that shows no sign of slowing. One full-back out, another in, the squad constantly in motion.
On the south coast, Bournemouth are moving more quietly but no less decisively. Juanlu Sanchez, the 22-year-old right-back from Sevilla, has travelled to England and is set for a medical ahead of an £11.2m switch. A tidy fee for a player who fits the Premier League’s growing demand for athletic, front-foot full-backs.
Tottenham rule out Nicolas Jackson move
Across north London, Tottenham have been linked with a move for Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson, back at Stamford Bridge after a season-long loan at Bayern Munich. Spurs have poured £237m into this window already and remain open to adding another attacker, with Cody Gakpo and Savinho both discussed.
Jackson will not be that man. Tottenham have distanced themselves from any move for the 25-year-old, closing down one rumour even as others swirl around their forward line.
Norgaard swaps Arsenal for Everton
One deal already done sits slightly under the radar but matters for the shape of two midfields. Christian Norgaard has left Arsenal for Everton in a £7m transfer, signing a two-year contract with the Toffees.
The 32-year-old wanted a bigger role, and Everton offered exactly that. Norgaard spoke of needing a change and being intrigued by the project laid out by David Moyes and the club’s hierarchy. For a side trying to stabilise and climb, his experience and discipline in the middle of the pitch could prove quietly invaluable.
Arteta, for his part, paid a warm tribute to a player he once described as Arsenal’s “glue”. Norgaard, he said, had “an incredible capacity to bring players together and keep the standards high” and produced “really good moments” when called upon. The role was difficult, the appreciation genuine.
Now, as Norgaard heads to Merseyside to become a central figure, Arsenal prepare to welcome Guimaraes as their next cornerstone.
The window has not yet hit its final frenzy, but the pattern is clear: champions are arming for another charge, challengers are scrambling to keep pace, and Newcastle are fighting to stop their spine from being ripped out completely.
