Arsenal are stepping up efforts to recruit Bruno Guimaraes in the summer transfer window, but the ambition of the Emirates Stadium team continues to face opposition from Newcastle United.
According to the BBC, Arsenal is preparing to send a new £70 million offer for the captain of the "Magpies". Negotiations between the two sides are said to have accelerated in recent days, after the London team identified Guimaraes as the top target to strengthen the midfield.
Previously, Arsenal was said to have reached a personal agreement with the Brazilian international. Guimaraes also expressed his desire to join coach Mikel Arteta's team this summer.
However, the negotiation process did not go smoothly. Arsenal's first offer worth £55 million, sent through an intermediary instead of direct contact with Newcastle, was rejected last month.
According to European sources, Newcastle's board of directors does not appreciate Arsenal's approach and considers the £70 million price "unable to start negotiations".
This source also said that Newcastle is dissatisfied that Arsenal has not conducted direct negotiations with the club. If Guimaraes officially submits a transfer application, the St James' Park team will demand a fee of up to £100 million to accept the 28-year-old midfielder leaving.
Bruno Guimaraes has just had a successful World Cup with the Brazilian national team when he contributed 4 assists. After finishing the tournament, he is expected to return to training with Newcastle to prepare for the pre-season training trip at La Manga.
This summer, Newcastle previously parted ways with two important pillars. Most recently, Sandro Tonali, who joined Tottenham in a deal with a total value of up to £100 million, and Anthony Gordon also arrived at Barcelona for £69.3 million before the World Cup kicked off.
Sharing with the BBC earlier this month, Emil Krafth - former teammate of Guimaraes at Newcastle - emphasized the importance of the Brazilian midfielder to the team.
He is the most important player of the team. He controlled the match very well, both physically and technically.
I hope they can keep him. There are many rumors surrounding Bruno, it's not surprising because he had a great World Cup and an excellent season.
In the context that Newcastle has parted ways with many stars, the club's leadership seems unwilling to lose their captain. This means Arsenal will have to continue to raise prices or change their approach if they want to complete one of the most important deals of the summer transfer window.
