Arsenal have rekindled their interest in Brazilian international Bruno Guimaraes following Manuel Locatelli rejection.

According to Goal Brazil, Premier League giants Arsenal are keeping tabs on 23-year-old Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimaraes in the summer transfer window.

The Gunners were linked with a move for the player back in 2020 while he was still at Brazilian side Athletico Paranaense. But he had already agreed to move to the French side, Olympic Lyonnais and saw it through in January last year.

Guimaraes was a regular fixture in the Ligue 1 side last season, making 37 appearances across all competitions. His performances have been good enough to convince Arsenal to keep tabs on his progress and earn him a first senior cap for Brazil. The Gunners are in touch with Lyon and are currently evaluating the possibility of making an official move for his services.

As things stand, Lyon are not keen to part ways with the 23-year-old. However, the French giants require cash and could be forced to sell if the right offer comes in. Arsenal will need to make an offer of at least €35 million for them to consider trading him.

Bruno Guimaraes is on Arsneal's radar (Picture Courtesy - AFP/Getty Images)
Bruno Guimaraes is on Arsenal’s radar (Picture Courtesy – AFP/Getty Images)

Perhaps curiously, Guimaraes is seen as an alternative to Italian star Manuel Locatelli. It is no secret that the Gunners are keen on the Azzuri star, but the player has rejected a switch to the Emirates. With Juventus ahead of them in the race to land him, a deal is looking increasingly unlikely. Rather than put all the eggs in one basket, Mikel Arteta & co. appear to have turned their attention to Guimaraes.

With the Brazilian team at the Olympics, Guimaraes could potentially seal the deal with a series of solid performances. It could finally convince the Gunners to convert their push into a shove and get the deal over the line.

The 23-year-old could be the latest addition in what has been a smart window by the North Londoners. Not only have they landed Ben White but also made under the radar moves for two promising youngsters in Albert Sambi Lokonga and Nuno Tavares. Adding Guimaraes to that list will give them a young crop of upcoming talent to build around.

Playing the young Brazilian alongside Thomas Partey could provide the defence with enough protection while also strengthening their midfield. A strong tackler, the 23-year-old also has an excellent passing range and can take a shot with some enthusiasm. He could very well turn into the missing link between the attack and the defence that Arsenal have lacked in midfield.

Despite the positives, the Samba star still has progress to make in certain aspects. Guimaraes does tend to give away cheap fouls and gets caught out. Proper coaching can, however, ease out those deficiencies. If he does develop as expected, the Gunners could have a dominant midfielder in their ranks for years to come.

The club’s football director, Edu Gaspar, has closely monitored the player since his days as the technical coordinator of the Brazilian national team. With the Locatelli deal looking all but dead, it remains to be seen if Guimaraes is the new priority this summer.

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