Arsenal’s drawn out pursuit of Bruno Guimaraes appears to be approaching its decisive stage.

The Premier League champions have admired the Newcastle captain for years, with his ability to control games and contribute at both ends making him a natural target for Mikel Arteta.

Interest intensified this summer as Arsenal looked to strengthen a midfield that carried a huge workload during their title-winning campaign.

Declan Rice and Martín Zubimendi both accumulated more than 4,000 minutes for club and country, while Christian Norgaard remained a squad player and is now set to join Everton.

Guimaraes would provide a proven option capable of operating as a holding midfielder or further forward.

He is accustomed to the Premier League and enjoyed arguably his best individual campaign despite Newcastle finishing 12th.

The Brazilian scored nine league goals and supplied five assists across 27 appearances, finishing as Newcastle’s leading scorer and winning the club’s official player of the year award.

Guimaraes sets the tempo, receives the ball in crowded areas and plays through pressure, while retaining the aggression and work rate required to compete without possession.

That versatility would give Arteta greater freedom to rotate Rice and Zubimendi without drastically changing Arsenal’s midfield.

Fabrizio Romano reported that an attempt to open talks at around £55 million was immediately rejected, with the Magpies insisting their star man would not leave at that price.

Further improved Arsenal proposals were also reported to have fallen short, but Arsenal remained confident and continued negotiations.

Anthony Gordon has joined Barcelona and Sandro Tonali has moved to Tottenham, while Eddie Howe resigned after almost five years in charge.

Before departing, Howe admitted he did not know what would happen with Guimaraes and was no longer involved in the conversations deciding his future.

Guimaraes was particularly close to Howe, who made him captain and built Newcastle’s midfield around him.

He was then absent from the squad’s flight to their Spanish training camp, remaining in Brazil while negotiations continued.

Reports subsequently claimed Arsenal had already made a major breakthrough.

L’Equipe, The Mail and other outlets have reported that the clubs had reached an agreement in principle after Arsenal raised their offer to €90million, around £77million, before bonuses.

The Times separately placed the potential package at approximately £80 million including add-ons.

Personal terms are also reportedly settled, with Guimaraes prepared to sign a five-year contract running until 2031.

Some final details, including bonuses and agent payments, were still described as unresolved, meaning the transfer had not been formally completed.

Romano has now provided another significant update on the negotiations.

The Italian reporter says Arsenal and Newcastle returned to direct talks 'today' as they attempt to close the deal.

Guimaraes is waiting for permission to travel for his medical and sign his contract as soon as the remainders of the agreement are completed.

Romano adds that Arsenal maintain total confidence they will secure the midfielder, reinforcing reports that the transfer has entered its final stages.

The update suggests the broad framework is in place, with the clubs now working through the points required before Guimaraes can be cleared to travel.

Completing the transfer would give Arsenal another elite, Premier League-proven midfielder as they prepare to defend their title and pursue the Champions League again.

For Newcastle, losing their captain after Gordon, Tonali and Howe would deepen a summer of major change under new head coach Matthias Jaissle.

For Guimaraes, the move would provide an immediate opportunity to compete for the biggest trophies.

The final paperwork still matters, but Arsenal’s confidence and Guimaraes’ readiness for a medical suggest a long-running pursuit is now close to its conclusion.