At some stage, Arsenal supporters are likely to pause and ask themselves a simple question about Bruno Guimaraes: what kind of player, exactly, have they brought in?
The thought may arrive during one of those lung-busting recovery runs when Guimaraes appears unable to make up the ground. There are moments when he can resemble a luxury car stuck in second gear. In Newcastle’s opening match of the 2024-25 season, staff were reportedly concerned after referee Craig Pawson beat him in a sprint as the game swung from one end of the pitch to the other.
His technique can also prompt a second glance. Shaped by his futsal background, Guimaraes has an unusual kicking style, almost scooping at the ball as though trying to dig it out from under his feet. He is not the midfielder who regularly lashes in from 25 yards, nor the one who routinely sweeps first-time passes over distance to launch counter-attacks. Now and then, the mechanics look awkward, even laboured.
Yet that is part of what makes Bruno Guimaraes such a distinctive footballer. He does not fit neatly into standard ratings or easy descriptions. Some of his best work is subtle enough to escape immediate notice. That, in turn, helps explain the uncertainty and argument that have followed him at different stages of his four-and-a-half years on Tyneside.
The conversation has been much the same whenever Guimaraes has worn Brazil’s yellow shirt. Among journalists and supporters, there has never been unanimous agreement that he should be an automatic starter in the national team midfield.
Bruno Guimaraes is a rare talent, but when he is not cast as the main man, does his influence begin to dim?
At Arsenal, the Brazilian would need to adjust to being part of the machine rather than the machine itself, linking with players such as Declan Rice rather than simply operating beside them
Former Newcastle manager Eddie Howe was sometimes asked how his captain dealt with criticism after returning from international duty. After Brazil’s 2-0 defeat by Uruguay in 2023, one outlet wrote that Guimaraes “did not come close to the protagonism he has at Newcastle”.
And that is the biggest question he must answer at Arsenal – when not cast as the leading man, do the lights fade? Some who have worked with him at St James’ Park are curious as to how he performs without the armband, without the thrill of being the white knight riding to the rescue.
That was Guimaraes at his best. He could be part of the problem for an hour, but if Newcastle were a goal down kicking towards the Gallowgate End with 30 minutes to play, he was the solution. With the armband came a superhero’s cape.
You cannot be that player without being a very talented footballer, of course. His loss to Newcastle is the greatest of all this summer. But there was a reason Howe made him captain in the summer of 2024, despite the decision upsetting one or two more senior team-mates.
He believed Guimaraes would raise his level given the responsibility, and he did. It was an inspired choice and, with it, the midfielder was inspirational when his team needed him most.
There is, however, a myth that Newcastle possessed the best midfield in the Premier League when Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton were together. On paper, the trio appeared almost perfectly complementary. Yet speak to those inside the club and they will tell you that the theory did not translate into practice as much as it should have done.
When it clicked, it tended to do so on the biggest occasions against the strongest opposition, under the brightest lights and in front of the biggest television audiences. The myth grew. Guimaraes and Tonali – now rivals in north London – could perform fantastically well, but it always felt independent of the other. Guimaraes was the ultimate team player, but more through individual heroism than collective control.
What does this mean for Arsenal? The £75million signing has to adapt to being a cog as opposed to the wheel. He has to play with, not merely alongside, the likes of Declan Rice.
Guimaraes was the ultimate team player at Newcastle, but more through individual heroism than collective control
There might be a few double-takes over his kicking action, too. A futsal upbringing has left him with a curious, shovelling technique
There is every chance he draws motivation from the pressure and expectation of playing for the champions. He likes, and needs, attention. His charisma demands a stage. He is not going to sit diligently in midfield and carry the water, nor have Arsenal bought him to do so. He wants to be the man who makes the wine and is toasted at the end of the day.
He could absolutely be that player for Arsenal. They will spend more matches on the front foot. His instinct to play forward, carry the ball and drive his team up the pitch is his undeniable strength. But there remains a suspicion that his genius craves a particular situation – when the chips are down, he steps up.
Then there is the question – a more recent one – of his durability. Guimaraes has been a warrior for Newcastle. He seldom missed a match and, on the rare occasions he did, the team looked lost in his absence.
However, a serious hamstring injury suffered in February was so out of keeping with what had gone before, sidelining him for two months, some have wondered if such muscle issues could reoccur. He turns 29 in November and his mileage is high, quite literally given he covered the most in the Premier League in 2024-25.
None of this is definitive. But there is enough doubt, and with it great intrigue, as to how Guimaraes makes the transition. Jamie Carragher said this week that the Brazilian must be better than what he sees, because everyone tells him how good he is. Yet Carragher’s uncertainty is understandable.
Because to understand Guimaraes – to know what he is and what he is not – takes time and exposure. At Arsenal, he will, in part, have to reinvent himself. What is certain is that they have bought a special player and a special person. This season, we will discover if that magic has travelled with him.
