Arsenal are close to finalising a move for Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimarães, with the Brazil midfielder expected to become the second most expensive signing in the club’s history if the reported deal is completed.

Multiple reports say Newcastle are prepared to approve his departure for a fee of $101 million (£75 million), after the two clubs reportedly found a “compromise.” At 28, Guimarães would leave St James’ Park after a summer in which Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon also departed at significant expense, a run of exits that reportedly led Eddie Howe to tender his resignation as manager.

For Arsenal, the scale of the move would underline how sharply their spending has risen under Mikel Arteta. A club that once sought a manager “who will not spend big money on transfers.” has long since embraced a different approach.

If the transfer goes through at the quoted figure, Guimarães would sit behind only Declan Rice in Arsenal’s list of record buys. Most of the club’s biggest fees have been committed during Arteta’s time in charge, and four of the 10 most expensive arrivals in Arsenal history came in last summer alone, when Martín Zubimendi, Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyökeres and Noni Madueke arrived for a combined total of more than $300 million.

The proposed move would also place Guimarães above Nicolas Pépé, whose $92 million transfer from Lille in 2019 remains one of the most costly and one that ultimately ended Unai Emery’s spell.

The fee, though substantial, is still below the temporary $135 million release clause inserted into Guimarães’s new five-year contract in October 2023. Newcastle had bought him from Lyon for around $58 million in 2022, but Arsenal appear to have struck a lower figure than that clause.

When viewed against this summer’s market, the move would not even top the scale of other major deals. It would be the fifth most expensive transfer in that wider group, behind the reported sums involved in moves for Mateus Fernandes, Elliot Anderson and Morgan Rogers.

Arteta summed up the reality of elite spending last summer when he said: “The budget is like when you have your wedding,” and added: “you plan your wedding with your wife and you give her a budget and it’s never less, it’s always more.”

Arsenal’s reported interest in Vinícius Júnior has emerged as one of the summer’s most ambitious transfer storylines, but the scale of the challenge remains clear. The Gunners are understood to be monitoring whether a move for the Real Madrid winger could become possible, even if the Spanish club still hold the upper hand.

Vinícius is still only 26 and remains one of the most destructive wide players in world football. He has already won the 2024 FIFA The Best Men’s Player Award and finished second in that year’s Ballon d’Or behind Manchester City’s Rodri. For Arsenal, his profile makes obvious sense, with the Brazilian seen as a player who could elevate Mikel Arteta’s attacking options immediately.

Yet the current reality is that Real Madrid are still in control. Vinícius returned to the club’s training base on Monday for his standard medical checks after his holiday following the 2026 World Cup. Jose Mourinho confirmed he was due back on Monday, and the winger has already completed his first training session ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

That return is expected to trigger a fresh round of contract talks, after 18 months in which agreement on a new deal has proved elusive. The biggest issue remains Vinícius’s push to become the first player in club history to receive a renewal bonus. Reports have suggested he may be willing to soften that stance, but there is still a significant gap to bridge.

Florentino Pérez has long been regarded as one of Vinícius’s strongest supporters, but he has also shown he will not bend easily in negotiations. The wider message is simple: Vinícius, Mourinho and Pérez all want him to stay, but each appears to want it on their own terms.

Unless a compromise is found soon, Real Madrid could even weigh up a sale this summer rather than risk losing him for nothing a year later. Arsenal, for now, are waiting. They are reportedly prepared to make him one of the club’s highest earners, and Andrea Berta has already held talks with his camp, according to The Athletic.

With less than a month left in the transfer window, Premier League clubs are still expected to be busy. Incomings and outgoings remain likely across the division, and every side still appears to have at least one clear gap to fill before the deadline.

Arsenal may be attracting attention with their pursuit of Vinícius Júnior, but their bigger need is in central midfield. Declan Rice carried too much of the load last season, while Martín Zubimendi faded after the break and Myles Lewis-Skelly is not yet fully trusted there. Another box-to-box midfielder would help enormously.

Aston Villa could soon be short at left back if Lucas Digne leaves, which would leave Ian Maatsen as the only senior option. Bournemouth need more depth in wide areas, Brentford still require a more natural left back, and Brighton & Hove Albion must replace the goals lost with Danny Welbeck’s move to Chelsea.

Chelsea, meanwhile, have done plenty of work already but still have not addressed the goalkeeper position. Robert Sánchez improved in 2025-26, yet the club still look in need of a top-class solution.

Elsewhere, Coventry City are close to signing Carl Rushworth permanently and would then turn to left back. Crystal Palace need centre-back reinforcements after losing Marc Guéhi and Maxence Lacroix, while Everton must add a defensive midfielder after Idrissa Gana Gueye’s departure.

Fulham will look for winger depth after strengthening up front, Hull City want more options in attack, and Ipswich Town are still waiting for a central midfielder. Leeds United may also need another striker to cover for Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s injury record.

Liverpool’s most pressing issue is out wide, Manchester City need a right back, Manchester United still want a more destructive midfielder, and Newcastle are alarmingly short at left back. Nottingham Forest must replace Elliot Anderson in midfield, Sunderland need more balance on the left side, and Tottenham Hotspur have already moved aggressively to rebuild after last season’s collapse.