Arteta mum over reports Arsenal have agreed to R1.65bn Guimaraes deal

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta gave little away on Wednesday after reports the Premier League champions have agreed a £75m (R1.648bn) fee to sign Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes.

The Brazil midfielder’s future has been the subject of fevered speculation for weeks since it emerged that he wanted to leave Tyneside for the Emirates Stadium.

Arteta, asked about a possible move for Guimaraes after Arsenal’s 3-1 friendly defeat by Spanish side Real Betis in Dublin on Wednesday, replied: “I’m not going to talk about any players who aren’t Arsenal players.”

He added: “I can tell you at the moment that something happens and we can announce it. I will give you my straight answer.”

Guimaraes, 28, who joined Newcastle from Lyon in 2022, scored nine goals and provided eight assists in all competitions for the Magpies last season.

After a break following Brazil’s World Cup campaign, he linked up with Newcastle on the club’s pre-season training camp in Spain.

Eddie Howe, who quit as Newcastle manager last week, had admitted he was concerned about losing Guimaraes.

Arsenal have been relatively quiet in the market compared with Tottenham, Manchester City and Chelsea as the new season approaches.

Arteta previously said Arsenal were “very active” and “very ambitious in what we want to do”.

“We need to increase the competition internally.

“We need to make sure we identify the things that we don’t have in the team,” the Spaniard said.

Arsenal were punished for defensive errors in Dublin, falling behind to first-half goals from Rodrigo Riquelme and Nelson Deossa.

The Gunners hit back through Piero Hincapie, but Pablo Fornals struck a third for Betis before the break.

Arteta rang the changes at half-time, making seven substitutions, with Louie Copley, who captained Arsenal’s Under-21 side last season aged 19, among those who came on.

But the highly rated midfielder, deployed at right-back, only featured for 10 minutes before landing awkwardly while chasing the ball.

The teenager had to be helped off the pitch as he struggled to put weight on his leg.

“It doesn’t look good,” Arteta said of Copley.

“So let’s hope that tomorrow the news is better.”

Arsenal open their title defence against Coventry at the Emirates on August 21.

• Everton have bolstered their midfield with the signing of Denmark international Christian Norgaard from Arsenal for an undisclosed fee.

The 32-year-old, who has signed a two-year deal with the Toffees, joined the Gunners from Brentford last summer but was limited to just seven league starts as the north London club won the Premier League title.

Norgaard, Everton’s fourth signing of the summer transfer window, told his new club’s website on Wednesday: “I felt I needed a change and to play a bigger football role.

“When I spoke to (Everton manager) David Moyes and others at the club involved in the transfer, I heard about the whole project and I was very intrigued.

“Coming here just makes that feeling even stronger.

“Also, my past experience of playing against Everton: the whole atmosphere, the fans, is something I really look forward to experience as an Everton player. It’s a big, big honour for me.” — AFP