Arsenal have reportedly decided to make a move for Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, with the Magpies are said to be pricing the Londoners out of a transfer for Alexander Isak.
Mikel Arteta's side advanced into the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Wednesday night despite drawing 2-2 with PSV Eindhoven as they had already won the first leg 7-1.
The Gunners will face Real Madrid in the next round, but attention has already turned to the summer transfer window, with fans keen for the club to strengthen in attack.
Newcastle's Isak has frequently been linked with a move to the Emirates, but considering the Toon are reportedly demanding in excess of £100m for his signature, it is difficult to see any club signing the striker.
However, Football Insider claim that the Londoners could swoop for Newcastle midfielder Guimaraes, though the Magpies are also said to be unwilling to discuss a sale for the 27-year-old.
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Should Arsenal sign Guimaraes?
Guimaraes can be best described as an all-action midfielder, with the Brazilian capable of shielding his backline in a more defensive role while also possessing the ability to dictate play thanks to his immense passing range.
The midfielder has also demonstrated that he is able to crash the penalty area in a more adventurous role, and his goal against West Ham United on March 10 highlighted his attacking instincts.
It is easy to see how Guimaraes would be able to play alongside Declan Rice, especially as the former's passing ability could complement the latter's athletic profile.
Guimaraes is not necessarily adept at receiving passes between opposition blocks, so perhaps Arsenal would still encounter issues in regard to creativity when trying to play through opponents.
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Should a striker be signed instead?
While Isak has undoubtedly been one of the Premier League's best performers - he is the third highest goalscorer (19) in 2024-25 - but an outlay of more than £100m on a striker that has played 30 times in a league season once in his career would arguably be unwise.
Though there are few alternative strikers of the same calibre on the market, Arteta could look to bring in someone like Benjamin Sesko to develop.
Arteta could also look to target more creative players capable of playing in smaller pockets of space to supply existing forwards like Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli.
Considering the Gunners have only produced the ninth highest xG total (43.8) in the Premier League this season, perhaps the Arsenal boss should prioritise improving his side's chance creation ability rather than his team's lethality in the final third.
Lewis Nolan
