Newcastle now expect to sell to Arsenal despite 1st bid rejection

Arsenal’s first formal bid for Bruno Guimaraes has been rejected by Newcastle United, but the expectation on both sides is that the move eventually goes through.

Bruno Guimaraes made his late arrival to Newcastle United’s training camp in Spain on Monday, confirming as much with a picture on his Instagram story, showing his view from their hotel.

Reports earlier in the day had confirmed that Newcastle had turned down an opening formal bid from Arsenal to sign the midfielder, with Newcastle sources finally confirming the two clubs are in official club-to-club talks.

But despite that bid rejection, it seems the transfer is just a matter of time at this stage.

Sam Dean and Newcastle journalist Luke Edwards report for The Telegraph that whilst it remains to be seen if Arsenal and Newcastle can reach an agreement, both sides now expect Guimaraes to become an Arsenal player this summer.

Whilst Newcastle initially insisted they wanted close to £100m for the midfielder, it’s now believed an offer in the region of £70m to £80m may be enough.

Guimaraes’ eagerness to leave was reportedly a contributing factor in Eddie Howe’s decision to quit as Newcastle’s head coach, with the Brazil international pushing to join Mikel Arteta’s side.

Simon Jones reports for the Daily Mail that Arsenal remain in official talks with Newcastle despite their opening bid being turned down, and the north-east club are now working on finding a replacement.

Meanwhile, The Times go as far as to claim it is believed Arsenal have even scheduled a medical for early this week, believing the transfer will go through. It is reportedly though that the deal can be completed if Newcastle receive an improved offer.

Guimaraes made 41 appearances for Newcastle last season, scoring nine goals and assisting a further eight despite playing a relatively defensive midfield role.

But with Newcastle finishing 12th in the league and missing out on any form of European football, whilst Arsenal won the league and reached the Champions League final, it’s not hard to see why the 28-year-old is now keen on a transfer.

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