Arsenal latest: £70m agreement struck as Bruno Guimaraes transfer truth emerges

News has emerged regarding Arsenal's interest in Bruno Guimaraes

The end of the World Cup is set to kick Arsenal’s summer transfer business into overdrive.

While the Gunners’ transfer dealings have looked shrewd on paper until now, the club’s summer window has looked quite different to what fans had expected at the end of last season, when they lifted the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years.

It was widely reported that Mikel Arteta would be handed a whopping £250 million to bolster his squad with new signings, having indicated that he needed more star quality after the Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain back in May. But the north Londoners’ approach to the window has been noticeably more subdued than that of their rivals. Sporting director Andrea Berta has adopted a careful and measured approach, unwilling to overspend on targets.

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He began with the £34.5m permanent signing of Piero Hincapie last month, quickly followed by the arrival of free agent Illan Meslier to add depth in goal. Berta has also addressed the left wing, green-lighting Leandro Trossard’s £17m exit to make space for Club Brugge’s Christos Tzolis, a £34m signing expected to officially put paper to paper shortly.

Despite those moves, nervousness is creeping in across the fanbase over what remains unfinished. Arsenal have been slow to clear out squad players deemed surplus to requirements, with Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira, and Christian Norgaard all still on the books. Even more pressing is the lack of marquee addition, most notably in defence, midfield and up front.

£70m sponsorship agreement

Arsenal have secured a new agreement with long-standing title sponsor Emirates valued at a reported £70m-per-year plus bonuses. The deal, negotiated by the club's chief commercial officer Juliet Slot, who is set to become the latest executive to depart the club later this year, marks a substantial rise from the £45m-per-year deal which ran until 2028.

It extends the airline's ongoing association with the north London club ahead of the current deal's scheduled expiry in 2028. The Telegraph reports that the renewed partnership encompasses the naming rights to Emirates Stadium and front-of-shirt sponsorship for Arsenal's men's and women's teams.

The stadium has carried the name of the United Arab Emirates' airline since its opening in 2006, with the shirt agreement starting at the same time. The improved terms are a consequence of Arteta's side securing their first Premier League title in 22 years and Arsenal Women's Champions League triumph last year elevating the club's commercial appeal.

Bruno Guimaraes rumours quashed

Sources at Newcastle have denied claims that they have entered negotiations with Arsenal over Bruno Guimaraes. The Times reported on Tuesday that Arsenal had formally opened talks for the Brazil international, with Newcastle said to value him at £75m.

The 28-year-old is also understood to have informed Newcastle of his desire to depart in search of silverware elsewhere, with N5 widely regarded as the most likely destination. However, Arsenal's assessment of Guimaraes' price-tag, with less than two years remaining on his contract, is reported to fall considerably short of Newcastle's own valuation.