Guimaraes tells Newcastle he wants Arsenal move

Guimaraes, 28, has expressed his desire to leave St James' Park through intermediaries, according to Sky Sports News. Arsenal have not approached Newcastle over the midfielder's availability, but deal conditions have been explored indirectly.

Newcastle's position is unequivocal: the Brazilian is not for sale. The club has held this stance throughout the summer despite already losing fellow midfielder Sandro Tonali to Tottenham for £100m and forward Anthony Gordon to Barcelona for £69.3m.

The midfielder's contract runs until summer 2027, with an optional extension taking it to 2029. Sky Sports understands Guimaraes may be viewing recent departures—with Tonali reportedly doubling his wages at Spurs—as evidence it is now his turn to seek a fresh challenge and opportunities to win league titles.

Manager Eddie Howe will be desperate to retain one of his most important players. Last season's 12th-place Premier League finish came partly from Newcastle's struggle to replace Alexander Isak, who forced a £130m move to Liverpool after going on strike. Losing another star player could trigger another painful rebuild.

Since joining from Lyon for £35m in January 2022, Guimaraes has become a crowd favourite and club captain, lifting Newcastle's first domestic trophy in 70 years when the side won the Carabao Cup two seasons ago.