Arsenal Explore Transfers for Newcastle Midfielders Guimaraes and Tonali
Arsenal have opened exploratory talks over ambitious moves for Newcastle United pair Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali as they step up plans for a major reshaping of Mikel Arteta’s midfield this summer.
The London club want one marquee central midfielder and have begun sounding out several options. Guimaraes and Tonali sit near the top of that list, with Bournemouth’s Alex Scott and Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi also firmly in the frame.
Arsenal circle, Newcastle stand firm
Conversations have already taken place with the camps of both Guimaraes and Tonali to gauge the conditions of any potential deal. These are early-stage discussions, driven by Arsenal’s desire to understand the financial and contractual landscape before deciding where to commit.
Newcastle, though, have yet to receive a formal approach from Arsenal for either player. Inside St James’ Park, the message is clear: they do not want to lose Guimaraes, the captain and emotional heartbeat of the team, and have already rejected a bid of around £80m from Tottenham Hotspur for Tonali.
Guimaraes, 28, has two years remaining on his contract and has parked all transfer noise while he focuses on Brazil’s World Cup campaign, with Japan awaiting in the last 32. Tonali, 26, is tied down even more securely. The Italy international is effectively under contract until 2030, having signed fresh terms during his 10‑month betting ban as part of Newcastle’s show of faith.
That loyalty gives Newcastle leverage. So does the market.
A seller’s market in midfield
With elite midfielders changing hands at eye-watering prices, Newcastle know they can ask for more. As previously reported by BBC Sport, they are in a strong position to demand a fee closer to £100m for Tonali, especially with Manchester City monitoring the situation.
Elsewhere, valuations are exploding. City have agreed a deal with Nottingham Forest for England midfielder Elliot Anderson worth a club-record £116m. West Ham, meanwhile, want up to £80m for 21-year-old Mateus Fernandes, who has attracted significant Premier League interest.
Against that backdrop, any Arsenal move for Guimaraes or Tonali would require a huge financial commitment. Age will matter. Guimaraes turns 29 in November; Tonali turned 26 in May. Those numbers will feed directly into Arsenal’s internal calculations over how far they are prepared to go.
Younger targets in the mix
Arsenal are not locked into a single path. While the Newcastle pair offer instant, proven quality, the club have also expressed firm interest in 22-year-old Alex Scott, who is already drawing attention from Manchester United and Chelsea.
Inside the recruitment department, the merits of moves for Morocco international Bouaddi and West Ham’s Fernandes – another player high on Tottenham’s list – have also been weighed. Each name represents a different profile: experience versus upside, instant impact versus long-term value.
Sporting director Andrea Berta is known for exactly this kind of multi-track approach. He routinely advances several deals at once before choosing which one to execute, keeping Arsenal in position to pivot quickly if one opportunity closes and another opens.
Knock-on effects inside Arteta’s squad
One thing is non-negotiable: if a new central midfielder arrives, someone will have to go. Denmark international Christian Norgaard, 32, is among those Arsenal are prepared to listen to offers for, with his future likely to hinge on who comes through the door.
A major signing in the middle of the pitch would also raise questions over Martin Zubimendi’s status as a guaranteed starter next season. Arteta has built much of his structure around the Spaniard, but a heavyweight addition could reshape the hierarchy at the heart of his team.
For now, Arsenal are still in the talking stage, testing the limits of what might be possible in a market skewed heavily in favour of sellers. If Newcastle dig in and the numbers spiral, do they double down on proven stars like Guimaraes and Tonali, or lean into the next generation with Scott, Bouaddi or Fernandes?
The answer will say plenty about how bold – and how patient – Arsenal intend to be in this window.
