Arsenal open direct talks with a 'mystified' Newcastle over Bruno Guimarães after missing out on Morgan Rogers

[DeepInlet]

Arsenal are stepping up their pursuit of Newcastle captain Bruno Guimarães, opening direct club to club contact after previously working through intermediaries, according to multiple reports. Sources say it would take a fee close to the £92.5 million plus £7.5 million in add-ons that Tottenham paid for Sandro Tonali just to tempt Newcastle into even considering a sale

The move comes right after Arsenal missed out on their top attacking target, with Chelsea instead landing Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers for a record £117 million, a fee Arsenal weren't willing to match. Mikel Arteta is now focused on strengthening his midfield instead, having already brought in Illan Meslier on a free transfer from Leeds and turned Piero Hincapie's loan from Bayer Leverkusen into a permanent deal, while agreeing to sell Leandro Trossard to Besiktas and closing in on Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge

Newcastle's own position appears genuinely firm, and reportedly confused by the reports entirely. Telegraph journalist Luke Edwards wrote that senior sources at Newcastle are mystified by claims Arsenal have opened club to club talks, saying they haven't heard from anyone involved about a potential deal in over a week, and that Newcastle's stance remains unchanged, they will not lower their valuation. That comes after an earlier round of reports this month claiming Arsenal had been encouraged by intermediaries that a cut price £50 million deal was possible, based on a supposed promise made to Guimarães during his 2024 contract renewal that he could leave cheaply if Newcastle failed to qualify for the Champions League, a claim the Telegraph reports Newcastle has firmly denied ever existed

Guimarães, 28, joined Newcastle from Lyon for around €40 million in January 2022 and has established himself as one of the Premier League's best midfielders since, having already lost fellow squad members Anthony Gordon to Barcelona and Sandro Tonali to Tottenham this same summer. Arsenal are also chasing Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa and remain long term admirers of Atlético Madrid's Julián Alvarez as they continue reshaping the squad following their runners-up finish

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