Bruno Guimaraes: From Rejection to Arsenal's No.39
Bruno Guimaraes didn’t sleep much that Christmas.
Back home in Curitiba six-and-a-half years ago, he waited by the phone, the Athletico Paranaense midfield already his kingdom, his mind already in Madrid. Atletico had come calling. A £26million deal was being pieced together. He’d said his goodbyes, fought back tears after a 1-0 win over Santos, and walked off the pitch believing his life was about to change.
Then the days dragged. Christmas came and went. The January window opened. Nothing.
Atletico hesitated. Benfica pushed an offer across the table. And then Athletico president Mario Celso Petraglia revealed a new name in the race: Arsenal.
Edu had been watching Guimaraes closely, tracking his rise as he helped Athletico lift four trophies, including the Copa do Brasil and Copa Sudamericana. Arsenal made a direct move to his camp. The interest was real. The money was not.
With the Gunners counting pennies, Lyon stepped in with conviction and a secret weapon: Juninho Pernambucano. A Brazilian icon, a Lyon legend, and one of Guimaraes’ childhood heroes.
Juninho didn’t need a long sales pitch. He offered a vision. Sign for Lyon and you can become one of the best midfielders in world football. Coming from him, it landed with force.
Guimaraes, a devoted Vasco da Gama supporter who had grown up idolising Juninho’s title-winning days at the club, listened. The pull was too strong. Only a few years later he would still be in the stands for Vasco, attending a 1-1 draw with Mirassol on July 26. The bond has never faded.
Lyon closed a £17.1m deal. When Guimaraes signed his long-term contract in France, he didn’t hide his frustration with Atletico’s cold feet. “Nobody called me,” he said. The club that had led the race simply stopped picking up the phone. They would come to regret it.
Two years on, Guimaraes’ next medical came with a different backdrop: Brazil duty, national team colours, and a Newcastle move that underlined just how far he’d climbed. Once again, Arsenal were in the picture. Once again, they were left watching.
After investing in Martin Odegaard and Albert Sambi Lokonga the previous summer, Arsenal could not live with Newcastle’s new financial power. The Magpies moved decisively. Guimaraes went to Tyneside. Arsenal’s hesitation carried a cost.
It didn’t take long for him to collect on that debt. In May 2022, Guimaraes scored and dominated in Newcastle’s 2-0 win over Arsenal at St James’ Park, a result that ripped Champions League qualification from Mikel Arteta’s side with one game left. He didn’t just beat them. He tormented them.
Since then, he has repeatedly gone toe-to-toe with Arsenal, a constant irritant in midfield, a player who relished the fight. No Premier League opponent has felt his presence more: he has won 71 duels against Arsenal, more than against any other side in the division.
For Guimaraes, choosing a club has never been about the biggest name or the brightest lights. He has always gone where he feels truly wanted. That instinct was forged in rejection.
Growing up in Rio de Janeiro, he loved futsal but couldn’t break through at Fluminense or Botafogo. The doors closed. So his father, Dick, took matters into his own hands, driving 269 miles every weekend from Rio to Osasco to watch his son play for Audax in Sao Paulo. The miles piled up. So did the lessons.
Dick’s support came with an edge. If Bruno lost, he got a ham and cheese sandwich and juice. If he won, he could eat whatever he wanted. Simple, ruthless, unforgettable. Those journeys, those rewards, those disappointments are part of him. He carries them on his back, literally, in the memories and markings that tell his story.
The number he wears carries weight too. No.39, the shirt he is set to pull on at Arsenal, is more than a squad number. It was the number of his father’s taxi in Rio, the same cab that ferried him to youth matches, the symbol of a family that refused to let the dream die on the roadside.
At Arsenal’s training ground, that number has already been eased into place. Young academy midfielder Louie Copley, who recently suffered a serious knee injury against Real Betis, had been wearing 39 in training and matches. On the club’s website, he now appears as No.38. A small administrative tweak, but a clear sign: 39 is being kept warm for someone special.
Arsenal have twice watched Guimaraes slip through their fingers. First to Lyon. Then to Newcastle. Arteta was never going to let it happen a third time.
The negotiations dragged. The saga frayed patience. But there was a sense of inevitability about it all. The player Arsenal had chased, battled, and suffered against is now theirs, a £75million cornerstone for a midfield built to challenge at the very top.
After years of near-misses and sleepless nights, Bruno Guimaraes finally walks through the doors at London Colney as Arsenal’s No.39. This time, the call came — and nobody else got to hang up on his future.
