Arsenal told to sign Bruno Guimaraes over Ayyoub Bouaddi after £100m transfer warning

Arsenal should prioritise a determination for Newcastle United's Bruno Guimaraes implicit Lille's Ayyoub Bouaddi this summer, a erstwhile Gunners midfielder has exclusively told Sports Mole.

Manager Mikel Arteta and sporting manager Andrea Berta are understood to beryllium targeting a caller deep-lying midfielder arsenic a substance of precedence this summer, with Bouaddi and Guimaraes believed to beryllium their apical 2 targets.

However, Lille's president has hinted that the Ligue 1 nine volition request astir £100m for Bouaddi, arsenic Les Dogues usage Elliot Anderson's £116m power to Manchester City and Sandro Tonali's £100m determination to Tottenham Hotspur arsenic benchmarks.

Meanwhile, Arsenal person reportedly seen 1 attack for Guimaraes rebuffed, but they person not mislaid show of the Brazilian and are expected to spell backmost successful aboriginal this summer.

Now, erstwhile Arsenal midfielder Stefan Schwarz has urged the Gunners to spell for Guimaraes implicit Bouaddi, naming 5 qualities that marque the South American a standout campaigner for the Premier League champions.

Why Arsenal should prosecute Bruno Guimaraes implicit Ayyoub Bouaddi

Asked whether Guimaraes oregon Bouaddi is the champion acceptable for Arteta's side, Schwarz responded: "Guimaraes I deliberation is simply a precise bully subordinate and tin acceptable good successful the Arsenal team.

"He looks similar helium matches the energy, method skill, power, creativity and tendency that Arsenal person successful their squad.

"He has been fantabulous for Newcastle and with this Arsenal team, helium tin rise his crippled to different level and marque Arsenal adjacent stronger. He has the hunger and passionateness for the crippled and brilliance to unfastened up a defence."

Guimaraes volition soon instrumentality location from the World Cup aft Brazil's 2-1 last-16 nonaccomplishment to Norway, successful which the Newcastle antheral had a stutter punishment saved by Orjan Nyland successful the archetypal half.

However, the midfielder provided 4 assists astatine the tourney and was progressive successful 15 goals successful 29 Premier League matches past season; 9 of his ain and six assists.

Where would Bruno Guimaraes acceptable successful astatine Arsenal?

Throughout the archetypal fractional of the 2025-26 season, the axis of Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice was immovable, but the former's performances dipped towards the extremity of a gruelling run to the constituent wherever helium failed to marque the starting lineup for the Champions League final.

Zubimendi played the second-most minutes of immoderate Arsenal outfielder successful 2025-26 with 4,300 crossed each competitions - lone beneath Rice's 4,456 - owed to Arteta's reluctance to bring Christian Norgaard into the fray.

The Dane started conscionable 1 Premier League match, is retired of declaration successful 2027, and is improbable to beryllium granted an hold fixed his property and peripheral presumption successful the squad.

As a result, Guimaraes should straight vie with Zubimendi for the fig six spot, portion Rice, Mikel Merino and Myles Lewis-Skelly conflict for minutes successful the near 8 role.

Both Guimaraes and Zubimendi are worthy of play starts for Arsenal, but aggravated contention betwixt the brace volition lone beryllium a bully happening for themselves and Arteta.

Stefan Schwarz was speaking to Sports Mole connected behalf of William Hill's World Cup 2026 victor odds.