Arsenal's transfer business has come in for plenty of praise as of late, with the club reshaping the squad into a young and hungry one willing to challenge at the top once again. Signings such as Gabriel Jesus, Ben White and Oleksandr Zinchenko have added plenty to the side, who currently sit top of the Premier League.
However, one area that may need some attention is the midfield ranks, with the need to plan for the future as well as add squad depth and quality. While every other position has players yet to enter their peaks, the likes of Mohamed Elneny, Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka are all towards the end of them.
There have been many players linked with filling in that role, but one that slipped through the net was Bruno Guimaraes, who joined Newcastle in January as a statement signing under their new ownership. "I did speak to some other clubs," he revealed to Sky Sports when asked about the Arsenal interest. "But the only concrete offer came in from Newcastle, and I really wanted to come here. I've always wanted to play in the Premier League, and on top of that, it was the start of a new sporting project for the club."
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He was eased into the side by Eddie Howe last season, but since the start of this campaign, he has continued to impress in both his defensive and offensive capabilities, showing just what the Gunners have missed out on in a potential competitor and long-term replacement for Xhaka. Discussing Guimaraes on Sky Sports, Jamie Carragher said: "The numbers are fantastic. But, I feel like the effect that he is having on the crowd, you go back to Kevin Keegan when he first signed, David Ginola or when Alan Shearer came in, in that effect, he is uniting a club and a fanbase, really.
"What we find out with midfield players is we put them in positions in terms of numbers and call them a six, an eight, or a ten. He feels like the type of player who could play all of those roles. In terms of playing this season, he has played as more of the deeper midfield players.
"When comparing him to midfield players from the teams in the top six, is that he is a throwback to when Roy was playing, in that he is a midfield player, he is not a sitting or attacking midfielder. Bruno Guimares is different to those midfielders. He is making more tackles per 90 than everyone around him, and he is winning possession more than everyone except Declan Rice.
"He is playing for Newcastle, so he is doing more defending, but there is still a big jump when compared to those other players. But when you look at his stats going forward in terms of his carrying, creativity and through balls, this shows he is a complete midfield player. This is why this midfield player is getting such excitement not just from Tyneside but from all over."
His impact was something Roy Keane agreed on, saying: "He is obviously playing with a lot of confidence, Newcastle having a good couple of weeks and producing some big wins and scoring lots of goals. He is doing what he is supposed to be doing in terms of being a midfielder, but those stats back them up. It is only early in the season, and we want to see that over the next few months, but he is a good character, the fans have taken to him, he has added goals to his game, and he looks like he knows what the game is about, he has a lot of football intelligence."
While it may be a big mistake from the Gunners in terms of their transfer strategy, they will have to put that behind them when eyeing their next midfield target going into January.
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