Arsenal have signed Bruno Guimarães from Newcastle for £75m, a record fee for a midfielder aged 28 or over, reflecting their belief that he can make an immediate difference. His durability, versatility across midfield and defensive work could be especially valuable amid concerns over Declan Rice’s hamstring issue and Martin Ødegaard’s limited league minutes last season.

The Brazilian is particularly effective at winning free-kicks, having suffered 410 Premier League fouls since his 2022 Newcastle debut—more than 100 ahead of any other player in that period. He has also scored 12 set-piece goals in the league, with only two players scoring more since then, including Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães; this strengthens a side already highly productive from dead-ball situations.