Guimarães Bid Incoming and Williams Opens Door in Arsenal’s £167m Push

Arsenal are accelerating a double pursuit worth up to £167m, with a fresh bid for Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes described as likely by journalist Ben Jacobs, and sporting director Andrea Berta personally making contact over Nico Williams, the Athletic Bilbao winger who carries a €90m (£77m) release clause.

Arsenal Move On After Missing Out On Morgan Rogers

The double push follows Arsenal’s failure to land Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, who joined Chelsea instead for a British record £117m. Arsenal were reportedly readying a first bid worth around £105m, but Chelsea moved so quickly that the Gunners never got the chance to formalise an offer. Attention has now shifted to alternative targets, with a winger still the priority.

The Guimaraes Bid Situation

Arsenal have already had two approaches turned down by Newcastle, a verbal offer of £55m and a follow up through intermediaries at £65m, with neither amounting to a formal written bid. Reports on Monday added that personal terms between Arsenal and Guimaraes are already believed to be in place, with the Brazilian having told Newcastle directly that he wants to leave St James’ Park this summer.

Newcastle’s public position remains firm, insisting the 28-year-old is not for sale. The Daily Mail has floated £75m as a possible compromise figure, while other reports suggest a fee somewhere between £65m and £90m could be enough to get talks moving. Arsenal are now expected to test that resolve with a third bid.

Berta Makes His Move On Williams

On the winger front, Arsenal have made fresh contact over Nico Williams, with Berta exploring other attacking targets alongside him. Williams provided the assist for Ferran Torres’ winning goal in Spain’s World Cup final victory over Argentina.

The key detail remains his Athletic Bilbao contract, which carries a €90m release clause. It is not yet clear whether Arsenal would trigger that clause outright or attempt a structured deal below that figure with friendlier payment terms. What is becoming clearer is that Williams, having previously hesitated when Arsenal came calling after Euro 2024, appears more open to a move to England this time.

That shift in the player’s thinking matters, though any formal approach will need careful handling. Liverpool have also been credited as leading contenders for Williams as a potential replacement for Mohamed Salah, which adds a serious complication to Arsenal’s pursuit.

The Broader Picture

If neither Guimaraes nor Williams can be secured, alternatives remain in play. PSG’s Bradley Barcola and RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande have both been floated as fallback options for the wide position, though both are attracting significant competition of their own from elsewhere.

Arsenal’s summer has clearly picked up pace after a quiet spell. Between the Guimaraes and Williams threads, the club appear ready to move on multiple fronts at once while keeping other options open.

The honest read is that Arsenal have a credible path to both players but real obstacles on each front. With Guimaraes, personal terms may be sorted but Newcastle are digging in on price. With Williams, the willingness looks to be there but Liverpool are also circling and the clause price is fixed regardless of who pays it. Berta will need to find a breakthrough on at least one front before the window closes.