Arsenal Targets Newcastle's Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali
Arsenal have opened exploratory talks over ambitious moves for Newcastle United duo Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali, as the club sharpen their focus on landing a single, high-end central midfielder this summer.
The London side are working through a shortlist rather than a single obsession. Guimaraes and Tonali are at the top of that list, but they are not alone. Bournemouth’s Alex Scott and Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi are also in the frame, with internal discussions already weighing the merits and price points of each option.
Guimaraes and Tonali: Big names, bigger numbers
Initial conversations with Guimaraes’ camp have centred on the conditions required to prise the 28-year-old away from St James’ Park. Similar sounding-out has taken place with Tonali’s representatives, as Arsenal test what might be possible without yet placing a formal bid.
Newcastle, though, have not received any direct approach from Arsenal. For now, the dialogue sits at agent level, not boardroom level.
And Newcastle are under no pressure to blink first. The club have already rejected a bid of around £80m from Tottenham Hotspur for Tonali and have no desire to lose Guimaraes, their captain and on-pitch reference point. Guimaraes has two years left on his deal and remains locked in on international duty with Brazil at the World Cup, where they face Japan in the last 32.
Tonali’s position is even stronger on paper. Manchester City are monitoring the situation and, as previously reported, Newcastle believe they can demand a fee closer to £100m for the Italian. He is effectively tied down until 2030 after signing a new contract during his 10‑month betting ban, a gesture designed to repay the faith the club showed him at his lowest point.
That contract length, coupled with City’s interest, gives Newcastle significant leverage. If a bidding war breaks out, they will be ready.
A market gone wild
The wider market only reinforces Newcastle’s stance. Midfield prices have surged to levels that would have seemed excessive even a year ago.
Manchester City have agreed a deal with Nottingham Forest for England midfielder Elliot Anderson worth a club-record £116m. West Ham, sensing the same inflation, want up to £80m for 21-year-old Mateus Fernandes, who is already attracting strong attention.
Against that backdrop, Newcastle’s valuations of Guimaraes and Tonali no longer look outlandish. They look in step with a market that has lost its brakes.
Age will still matter to Arsenal. Guimaraes turns 29 in November, Tonali turned 26 in May. Those numbers will feed directly into the club’s internal calculations on fee, contract length and resale value.
Scott, Bouaddi and Fernandes in the mix
Arsenal are not betting everything on Newcastle’s resolve cracking. Sources indicate the club have expressed firm interest in 22-year-old Alex Scott, who is also being tracked by Manchester United and Chelsea. His profile fits the club’s longer-term planning: younger, with room to grow, and likely at a lower cost than a marquee name from Newcastle.
Inside the recruitment department, Morocco international Ayyoub Bouaddi has also been studied closely, as has West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes, a key target for Tottenham. Each brings a different blend of technical quality, athleticism and upside, and each sits at a different point on the risk–reward spectrum.
This is where Arsenal’s sporting director Andrea Berta comes into his own. His reputation has been built on working several deals in parallel, allowing the club to pivot late and strike decisively once the best path becomes clear. This summer is shaping up as another example of that multi-track approach.
Midfield dominoes at the Emirates
One new central midfielder in means one current midfielder out. Arsenal are not planning to stockpile in the middle of the pitch.
Denmark international Christian Norgaard, now 32, is among those the club are prepared to listen to offers for. His future could be the first domino to fall once a new arrival is secured.
Any major signing in the centre will also shine a harsh light on Martin Zubimendi’s role. The Spaniard has been a regular starter for Mikel Arteta, but a big-money addition in his zone would inevitably raise questions about whether he remains first choice next season or becomes part of a deeper rotation.
For now, Arsenal are still in the shadows of the market, talking, probing, measuring the cost of ambition. The moment they choose which midfielder to back, the entire shape of Arteta’s midfield — and perhaps Newcastle’s too — could change in a single stroke.
