Arsenal get immediate response to Bruno Guimaraes transfer bid as move thrown into chaos | Football | Sport

Newcastle have rejected an opening offer from Arsenal for the services of Bruno Guimaraes, according to reports. The midfielder has emerged as a top target for the newly-crowned Premier League champions, who are looking to improve their options in the engine room ahead of the upcoming campaign.

It’s been widely reported that Bruno is eager to join the Gunners, with a transfer fee of around £80million having been mooted. Now, it’s claimed that Arsenal have submitted an opening bid for the Brazil international as they ramp up their pursuit of his signature.

The details of the offer are yet to emerge, but according to The Chronicle, it was swiftly rejected by Newcastle.

The report adds that Bruno has joined up with the rest of his Newcastle team-mates for their pre-season training camp in La Manga, contrary to suggestions that he had refused to attend.

Newcastle have not made it clear how much they would accept to sell Bruno. Earlier this summer, they allowed Sandro Tonali to join Tottenham in a £100m deal.

They also sold Anthony Gordon to Barcelona in exchange for a transfer fee in the region of £75m. It’s claimed that Magpies chiefs are reluctant to sell Bruno, given his importance to the side and the fact they have already lost two key players.

A separate report from L’Equipe suggests that personal terms have already been agreed on a potential contract until the summer of 2031.

Arsenal, meanwhile, could try to tempt Newcastle’s resolve with an improved bid over the coming days.

Mikel Arteta was quizzed on the club’s transfer plans over the weekend, insisting that plenty of work was going on behind the scenes to sign more players.

He said: “Well, we are already active trying to improve and evolve the team. That’s clear. We expect to have movements in the next few weeks.

“Obviously, because we want to get better like anybody else, and you can just see the transfer market and our opponents what we are doing. We won’t sit still and we are very ambitious what we want to do.”

Arsenal have already signed Piero Hincapie on a permanent basis following his loan spell last season, as well as welcoming Christos Tzolis and Illan Meslier to the Emirates Stadium.