Arsenal ready £70m bid for Bruno Guimaraes despite Newcastle's refusal to sell
Arsenal are preparing to increase their offer for Bruno Guimaraes to £70 million, despite Newcastle United's public insistence that their captain is not for sale, according to The Sun.
Earlier soundings through intermediaries had Arsenal at around £60m. The jump to £70m follows Guimaraes informing Newcastle directly that he wants to leave St James' Park for the Emirates Stadium, a stance that puts the Brazil international's position beyond doubt even as Newcastle continue to resist. Talks are expected to move quickly now that the player's intentions are clear.
Mikel Arteta has made the midfielder his priority reinforcement for the summer. Arsenal have otherwise had a slow window in the transfer market, with deals so far limited to winger Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge (£34m), the permanent signing of Piero Hincapie, and free agent goalkeeper Illan Meslier. A move for Chelsea target Morgan Rogers fell through when Chelsea agreed a £117m deal of their own. Arteta is also still working the market for a defender following William Saliba's back injury, with Ezri Konsa and free agent John Stones under consideration, plus a forward, where Julian Alvarez and Bradley Barcola remain names of interest. (Report via Goal.com.)
