£80m for Guimaraes? Newcastle's pipe dream as Arsenal stalls

The word out of St. James' Park? Bruno Guimaraes has privately made it clear: he wants a look at Arsenal. That's according to Sky Sports' Keith Downie. But here’s the kicker. Arsenal? They haven't bothered with a proper approach. Instead, it’s all shadowy intermediaries, just 'gauging the shape' of a deal. Newcastle's absolutely seething.

Newcastle’s stance is firm. No actual offer, no conversation. Plain and simple. Downie even reports the Magpies, in a frankly embarrassing move, have had to go chasing Arsenal themselves. Asking, you know, if they're *actually* serious about Guimaraes. Because from the Gunners' bigwigs? Nothing. Zip.

That £80m price tag? It's a mere £20m shy of what they got for Sandro Tonali from Spurs this month. Guimaraes is three years older than Tonali, by the way. Newcastle originally shelled out £40m for the 28-year-old in 2022. They see him as the absolute core of everything. A true lynchpin, if you will. But his patience is wearing thin. He wants to win serious silverware, not just the Carabao Cup. That kind of talk? It ripples through a dressing room. Big trouble.

Arsenal, meanwhile, have done squat this summer. Not a single big deal. They look flat-out unwilling to cough up Newcastle’s asking price, or even engage like proper professionals. Downie reckons this pantomime could drag on. His blunt advice? Arsenal needs to 'show Newcastle the colour of their money.' Actually make a real bid. Otherwise, why would anyone take them seriously?