Arsenal will have to pay in the region of £100million to sign Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes this summer.
That is according to reports in the Telegraph, who claim Arsenal have been misled to believe the Brazil international would be available for half the price.
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Standard Sport reported in June that the Gunners had held initial talks with Guimaraes’ representatives to gauge his availability and those discussions proved positive.
They have now received further encouragement from the 28-year-old, who has reportedly informed Newcastle of his wish to leave St James’ Park and join the Premier League champions.
Meanwhile, French publication L’Equipe have claimed Guimaraes has agreed terms with Arsenal for a contract that will run until 2031.
As such, Arsenal are expected to begin club-to-club talks with Newcastle with an official offer.
However, as per the Telegraph, the Newcastle hierarchy has made it clear they would demand a fee similar to the £100m Tottenham paid for Sandro Tonali earlier this month.
This twist leaves Arsenal weighing up whether pay almost double for Guimaraes after initially being told, via intermediaries, he could be allowed to leave for a bargain price if the Magpies failed to qualify for the Champions League.
Newcastle have maintained their stance that Guimaraes is not for sale at any price, having already recouped a combined £162m, which could rise closer to £170m, following the sales of Anthony Gordon and Tonali this summer.
Guimaraes has two years left to run on his current contract, and Newcastle hold the option to extend by a further 12 months, effectively tying him down until 2030.
