Arsenal have been linked with several midfielders ahead of the summer transfer window including Newcastle United star Bruno Guimaraes.

The Brazilian could end up leaving Newcastle this summer as they may need to make a big sale to comply with financial regulations, and Alexander Isak has also been linked with the Gunners.

Arsenal have been recently linked with a move for Guimaraes, who has a £100m release clause active at the start of the transfer window, as they seek another defensive midfielder in the summer window, and Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi is also of strong interest to Mikel Arteta.

Guimaraes is a player who has been on Arsenal’s radar since his days at Brazilian side Athletico Paranaense. He was linked with a move to Arsenal in 2020 prior to joining Olympique Lyonnais, and was strongly linked in January 2022 before he joined Newcastle.

A narrative formed that Arsenal had missed out on the midfielder at the time, but journalist Charles Watts has now explained that the club simply did not make an offer when presented with the chance to do so.

Arsenal never bid for Bruno Guimaraes before he joined Newcastle in 2022

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Watts revealed that whilst technical director Edu Gaspar was aware of the player, Arsenal never formalised their interest for the midfielder when previously linked.

“Bruno and Arsenal have sort of gone hand in hand for the last five or six years from his Lyon days,” he stated.

“He was always linked with a move to Arsenal. It never happened. Arsenal never bid for him.

“There was always talk when he went to Newcastle, that Arsenal missed out on Bruno Guimaras. It never happened, because there was never really any bid from Arsenal for Bruno.

“Edu is very close to Bruno’s agents, he knows him well, but that was as far as it got. There was probably some interest there, but it never was firmed up into any sort of bid.”

Did Arsenal miss out on Bruno Guimaraes in 2022?

Given that the 26-year-old has performed superbly for Newcastle since his arrival, there is an argument to be made that if Arsenal had signed him in January 2022, they could have won the race for a top-four spot that season.

Even now, if Arsenal do move for him, he could be a strong, but pricey addition to Arteta’s midfield, with his excellent ability on the ball matched by his rugged defending.

However, if Arsenal did spend a big fee on him two years ago, they may not have ended up moving for Declan Rice. A defensive midfielder was not a priority for Arsenal at the time, with Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey in top form, and now that they have the Englishman, they are challenging for the title for the second year in a row.

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