Newcastle Director Virtually Confirms Bruno Guimarães' Transfer to Arsenal

Newcastle had no intention of selling their captain, Bruno Guimarães, according to sporting director Ross Wilson, following reports linking the Brazilian midfielder with a move to Arsenal. British media outlets had suggested Arsenal secured a £75 million deal for the 28-year-old, though neither club had confirmed the news.

"We didn't want to sell Bruno. It wasn't in our plan to sell him. None of us, nor the owners, wanted to sell Bruno," Wilson stated, effectively confirming the transfer.

"He's our captain, he was incredibly important to us, and the debate around his price – it's a world record for a player of his age. What we had to consider was Bruno's very respectful conduct towards us, which was also very emotional. He essentially told us he wanted to leave and move on," Wilson added, as quoted by BTA.

Guimarães, who joined Newcastle from Lyon in January 2022, has made 195 appearances across all competitions, scoring 31 goals for the Premier League club.

He captained Newcastle to the League Cup triumph in 2025, ending the club's long wait for a domestic trophy.

"There's no point saying the transfer was part of our strategy or a target this summer – it wasn't. But we have to be flexible and react to things that happen. Perhaps it was in our plan to sign a player, but we didn't get him," the sporting director commented.

The news regarding Guimarães follows the departures of Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali, and manager Eddie Howe.

Newcastle kicks off their Premier League campaign against Liverpool on August 23rd.