Bruno Guimaraes is closing in on a £75 million move to Arsenal, with the transfer expected to receive Premier League ratification imminently. But as the deal nears its conclusion, fresh details have emerged about the unusual tactics Arsenal deployed during negotiations — tactics that left Newcastle United executives genuinely baffled.

Arsenal's drawn-out approach

According to Sky Sports North East reporter Keith Downie, Arsenal deliberately avoided direct club-to-club contact with Newcastle for weeks after intermediaries had already established Guimaraes's openness to the move. The Gunners continued operating through third parties long after the player had privately signalled his willingness to join the reigning Premier League champions.

Downie described Arsenal's approach plainly: "Arsenal elongated the transfer by refusing to contact Newcastle for weeks — which Newcastle found bizarre." Newcastle officials were left wondering why formal communication was being withheld when the player's desire to leave had already been made clear.

Newcastle's hands were tied

Newcastle had no desire to part with their captain, and would have blocked any sale had Guimaraes indicated he wanted to stay on Tyneside. The 28-year-old, however, held firm — telling the club's leadership that he wished to leave in order to pursue a better chance of competing for major honours.

Once Arsenal eventually moved to open formal negotiations and met Newcastle's financial valuation, the talks accelerated rapidly. The £75 million agreement is now close to being officially approved by the Premier League.

Amicable parting on Tyneside

Despite the frustration surrounding the transfer's slow early stages, relations between Guimaraes and Newcastle remain warm. The club, for its part, will use the £75 million windfall to reshape its squad ahead of a new sporting cycle, even as it absorbs the significant blow of losing its captain and talisman.