Bruno Guimaraes wanted Arsenal move, reveals Newcastle United's sporting director
What's the story
Newcastle United's sporting director, Ross Wilson, has revealed that the club never intended to sell Bruno Guimaraes. However, he said their "very emotional" captain was keen on joining Arsenal. The Premier League champions are on the verge of completing a £75 million deal for the midfielder after successful negotiations this week. Here are further details on this.
Emotional farewell
'What we had to weigh up was...'
Wilson expressed his disappointment at Guimaraes's decision to leave, emphasizing that the 28-year-old didn't want to "play here anymore."
"What we had to weigh up was, very respectfully from Bruno with his behavior toward us, very emotionally as well, he effectively told us he wanted to leave and move on," said Wilson, as per BBC Sport.
Departure details
Guimaraes bids adieu to his teammates
Guimaraes said an emotional goodbye to his teammates and staff before leaving the club's pre-season training camp in Spain.
His exit marks the fourth major player departure in less than a year, following Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon's transfers to Tottenham Hotspur and Barcelona, respectively.
Alexander Isak also left for Liverpool last summer in a blockbuster more.
Newcastle have received hefty sums from the sales of Tonali, Gordon, Isak and now Guimaraes.
Transfer talks
It's a fee that satisfies us: Newcastle's CEO
Newcastle's CEO David Hopkinson said Arsenal wanted to pay a lower fee after lower sums were initially floated for the player.
However, he admitted that Newcastle would have preferred "an even higher number" for such an influential figure.
He said, "You're dealing with very sophisticated actors on each side." He added, "That's what negotiation looks like. It's a fee that satisfies us."
Replacement search
Newcastle looking for experienced midfielder as replacement
Despite the loss of Guimaraes, Newcastle are actively looking for a replacement in the transfer market.
The club has so far signed five players this summer, four of whom are aged 20 and under.
However, they are now looking to sign an experienced midfielder and make a couple more additions before the transfer window closes on September 1.
Fee
Arsenal agree £75m Bruno Guimaraes fee with Newcastle United
On Wednesday, Arsenal sanctioned the sale of Brazilian midfielder Guimaraes from Newcastle in a deal worth £75 million.
The transfer comes after Guimaraes expressed his desire to join the Premier League champions this summer.
Despite initial disagreements over the transfer fee, both clubs reached a compromise to facilitate the move, as per The Athletic.
Guimaraes's former club, Lyon, will receive 20% of Newcastle's profit from the sale. This means they are set to earn between £7 million and £8 million from the deal.
Career
A look at Guimaraes's career stats
Guimaraes joined Newcastle from Lyon in January 2022 for a fee of €50 million including add-ons.
He has since made 153 Premier League appearances, scoring 30 goals and providing 26 assists.
Overall, the player owns 195 appearances for the club across competitions, scoring 31 times.
The midfielder was part of the team that won the Carabao Cup in 2025 and started all five of Brazil's games at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, providing four assists.
Overall, he has 48 caps for Brazil.