Club now planning to hijack £90m Arsenal target
Chelsea transfer news: Arsenal thought they had this one in the bag. Mikel Arteta was practically planning pre-season around him, only for Chelsea to go and stick their nose in. Word coming out of Stamford Bridge suggests the Blues are sniffing around Bruno Guimarães. Simon Phillips, a journalist with proper ties to the Chelsea hierarchy, keeps hearing the Brazilian’s name pop up in conversation. It is not just casual chatter either. The same message keeps coming back from different directions, which usually means someone in power is testing the waters.
Chelsea transfer news: Blues threaten to hijack Arsenal move for Newcastle star Bruno Guimarães
Whether Clearlake Capital are actually preparing a bid or simply trying to mess with their London rivals is up for debate. But you cannot ignore the smoke. Guimarães has already made his mind up, mind you. He wants Arsenal. He has told Newcastle straight, and sources at FootballTransfers reckon it is just down to the fine print on the contract. The problem? Arsenal still have not put a formal offer on the table. Newcastle are holding out for somewhere between £80m and £90m, and the board at St James’ Park are getting right on edge with how long the Gunners are taking to pick up the phone.
That hesitation is a massive risk. Chelsea have spent the last few years proving they do not mind throwing absurd money around to get what they want. Stealing Guimarães would give them a world-class central midfielder while simultaneously ruining Arsenal’s summer transfer strategy. Two birds, one stone.
Why the madness makes sense
Look at the numbers, and you see why everyone is losing their heads over him. The 28-year-old was Newcastle’s standout player last term, taking home their Player of the Year award after bagging nine goals and eight assists from midfield across 29 outings. That matched his best tally in England. Throw in 2,459 hard-fought minutes on the pitch, all while battling through injuries that kept him out of 15 games, and you have a player who simply carries a team on his back.
Phillips is not the type to print complete nonsense just to get clicks on social media. When he says Chelsea are lingering in the background, it means people inside the club are deliberately feeding him that information.
Arsenal running out of time
If Chelsea decide to turn this interest into a concrete offer that matches Newcastle’s valuation, the North East club will jump at it. They want the money sorted. They want the drama over with. Arsenal are playing a dangerous game by stalling. Every day they leave the door unlocked is another day Todd Boehly and his recruitment team can waltz in with a briefcase full of cash and steal their primary target from right under their noses. Arteta needs to get this wrapped up immediately, or he is going to end up looking extremely foolish.
Rohit Sarkar
