Arsenal’s need for a central midfielder has been evident since previous summer transfer window. Despite signing Albert Sambi Lokonga in that position, a player with more pedigree needed to be brought in.
Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey are two players whose place in the team are currently beyond question. Lokonga and Mohammed Elneny are the two back-up players, but their levels in terms of experience and quality do not compare with the two starters.
It seemed last year that the Gunners had targeted Bruno Guimaraes to bridge this gap and be crucial to Mikel Arteta’s rebuild. However, the recent transfer activity in the current summer transfer window highlights why missing out on the signature of the Brazilian is a blessing in disguise.
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Eddie Howe added Guimaraes to his team in the January transfer window, despite Arsenal also reportedly being interested in the midfielder. That decision caused unrest amongst the Gunners' fanbase.
Arsenal failed to sign a midfielder in the last winter window, which made losing out on Guimaraes feel even worse for fans of the north London side. He certainly would have improved Arteta’s midfield, who will be set to suffer from a lack of depth after the summer due to a number of departures in this position.
However, six months later, losing out on Guimaraes will no longer feel as bad due to Manchester United’s expected capture of Casemiro from Real Madrid. The Brazilian’s move to the Premier League could potentially create a domino effect that includes Guimaraes.
According to Spanish news outlet AS, Guimaraes would be Carlo Ancelotti's number one option to replace Casemiro at Real Madrid, should he leave the club. The report goes on to say that Newcastle would ask for more than double the amount they paid for the midfielder, which was €52million (£44million).
This would have provided a major blow for Arsenal if Guimaraes was amongst the ranks and Real Madrid had declared an interest in the player. With the Gunners currently in a strong rebuilding process, having players unsettled or losing a key piece to the construction creates the chance of further delaying the process.
Many South American players have a history of preferring a move to La Liga’s giants in either Real Madrid or Barcelona and with Los Blancos knocking on the door after they have just become the Champions League winners, it is likely to unsettle any player for that matter.
Despite missing out on Guimaraes, Arsenal can still sign a midfielder in the remaining weeks of the window and feel assured that they can keep hold of that player until the rebuilding process is close to completion. Guimaraes would have been an excellent acquisition, but only if he was guaranteed for the long term.
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