Bruno Guimaraes to Arsenal: Where would Newcastle captain fit in and what would it mean for Martin Zubimendi, Martin Odegaard, Myles Lewis-Skelly? | Football News

It is easy to understand Arsenal’s interest in Bruno Guimaraes. The Newcastle captain is one of the Premier League’s most complete midfielders, capable of dominating and destroying but also scoring and creating, with passing ability to match his physicality.

The Gunners remain in talks with Newcastle over a deal for the 28-year-old, who would be joining a group of midfielders which includes Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, Martin Odegaard, Mikel Merino and Myles Lewis-Skelly. So where and how would he fit in?

No 6 or No 8?

Guimaraes can play as a deep-lying midfielder or a more advanced No 8. He explained his preference for the latter position in an interview with Sky Sports in October 2022, when he was being used by former Newcastle boss Eddie Howe in the No 6 role.

“To be honest, if you ask me this question, I have to say I prefer to play at No 8, but I think my role here, at No 6, is exactly what the team needs,” said Guimaraes. “It is to take the ball out, to do some passes, to find the wingers and the strikers.

“I can play both positions, but Eddie has a choice to make and, for me, the most important thing is just to play and to help Newcastle get the three points. I think my best position is at No 8 but I can play at No 6. It’s not a problem for me.”

Guimaraes ended up playing in his favoured role for Newcastle after Sandro Tonali took over at No 6, but his flexibility, and willingness to put the team first, will doubtless appeal to Mikel Arteta, who loves players able to slot into different positions.

Guimaraes’ versatility shines through when breaking down his minutes played by position in the Premier League.

The graphic above shows he has played most of his minutes for Newcastle at the base of midfield but also highlights his ability to play as both a right and left-sided No 8, providing further evidence of the flexibility he can bring to Arsenal in terms of how he is used.

The options he’d give Arteta

Even when ostensibly starting as Newcastle’s No 6, Guimaraes was platformed to attack. “With the way we are playing, Dan Burn is at left-back, so he can stay in the middle and I can go and be another player to help the attackers,” he added to Sky Sports in 2022.

Guimaraes finished that season with four goals and five assists in the Premier League for Newcastle, despite playing as the No 6. He was even more productive in the following campaign, scoring seven goals and providing eight assists in the same role.

In total, the Brazil international has contributed an impressive total of 30 goals and 25 assists in 153 Premier League appearances for the club, underlining the extent of his attacking threat.

Arsenal have plenty of full-backs capable who could tuck inside to allow him to get forward from the No 6 position. But another way to maximise Guimaraes’s attacking qualities in a box-to-box role would be to use him as part of a double pivot.

Rice could be the perfect foil.

The 27-year-old spent most of last season playing as Arsenal’s left-sided No 8, with Zubimendi playing at No 6. But he finished it playing further back, on the right of a double pivot with Lewis-Skelly, who impressed after his late-season move into midfield.

Rice excelled alongside the youngster. Like Guimaraes, he has the energy to get up and down the pitch as a box-to-box midfielder but he is also tactically aware and disciplined in his positioning.

Even before he was moved back into a double pivot last season, Rice often provided cover for Zubimendi, who was able to score five Premier League goals while playing as Arsenal’s No 6.

Using Guimaraes and Rice in a double pivot would allow Arteta to deploy one of Martin Odegaard or Eberechi Eze as a pure No 10. In the event of Rice being unavailable, or simply needing a rest, he could even use both players as No 8s ahead of Guimaraes at No 6.

If Arteta wanted to go in the opposite direction and prioritise physicality over flair, he could sacrifice a playmaker for Zubimendi and push Guimaraes forward, into the right-sided No 8 role in which he spent much of the last two seasons for Newcastle.

A midfield trio of Guimaraes, Zubimendi and Rice might not appear the most attack-minded but it would certainly allow Arsenal to win most physical battles in central midfield. It should also be noted that Guimaraes actually profiles similarly to Odegaard as a passer.

Guimaraes made almost exactly the same number of line-breaking passes per 90 minutes as the Arsenal captain last season. His average of 8.6 put him well ahead of either Rice or Zubimendi. He also directed a similar percentage of passes forward to Odegaard, and was in fact more efficient in terms of forward-pass accuracy.

The numbers reflect a capacity to unlock opposition defences which could mitigate Odegaard’s absence, at least to some extent, while providing another source of creativity from central midfield.

Would others lose out?

The arrival of Guimaraes would inevitably raise questions about some of Arsenal’s other midfield options but is easy to see the logic behind their efforts to land a player of his quality.

Last season, the distribution of midfield minutes was too heavily weighted towards Rice and Zubimendi, both of whom would benefit from a lighter load having played more than 4,000 minutes.

Arsenal’s overreliance on Rice and Zubimendi was partly due to injuries. Odegaard and Merino both had long spells on the sidelines, along with Kai Havertz, who can also play in midfield. But it also reflected Arteta’s lack of trust in alternatives such as Christian Norgaard, who is expected to join Everton.

Norgaard’s exit would free up a space in the squad for Guimaraes but Arsenal may still have work to do to reduce numbers, with Ethan Nwaneri and Fabio Vieira having returned from their loan spells at Marseille and Hamburg respectively last season.

Lewis-Skelly, meanwhile, may find himself bumped down the pecking order having finished last season as a midfield starter ahead of Zubimendi. But Arsenal played 63 games last term and will be targeting silverware on multiple fronts again.

The level of rotation required in that context, and the potential for injuries and absences, should still allow opportunities for Lewis-Skelly in midfield. But the reality is that Guimaraes, valued at £80m by Newcastle, would not be arriving to play a supporting role.