Bruno Guimaraes can secure dream Arsenal shirt number as £75m transfer agreement edges closer

Arsenal are set to step up their interest in Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, with formal talks between the two clubs expected to take place later this week.

The Gunners are in the market for an elite central midfielder this summer, and Mikel Arteta has identified Guimaraes as his top target. The club are concerned about Declan Rice's fitness heading into the new season, while Myles Lewis-Skelly's midfield inexperience and Martin Zubimendi's struggles in the latter half of the 2025/26 campaign have prompted Andrea Berta to attempt to pounce on this market opportunity.

If Rice is unavailable for a long stretch of next season, Arteta needs someone else to man the ship in the middle of the park during the England international's absence. Lewis-Skelly, Zubimendi and Mikel Merino alone will not suffice.

Guimaraes is the best player available, and for these aforementioned reasons, Arsenal are willing to pay somewhat over the odds for the 28-year-old.

With club-to-club talks expected to unfold over the coming days, an agreement could be near.

Speaking on talkSPORT on Tuesday, reputable journalist Alex Scott said: "I was told by a reliable source this morning that Arsenal’s deal for Bruno Guimarães is expected to go through. It might cost in the region of £75m-£80m.”

Arsenal could well be closing in on one of the statement signings of the summer.

Shirt numbers available to Bruno Guimaraes at Arsenal

As a potential deal for Guimaraes progresses, the fanfare around the signing will begin to build. This excitement includes envisaging the player in a red and white shirt, and that includes theorising which number he could wear.

While all of the 1-11 shirts are currrently taken at the Emirates, there are a number of interesting options the Brazilian could take.

Number 15 has been vacant since Jakub Kiwior's departure last summer. While not a shirt associated with any standout Arsenal greats, Cesc Fabregas did don it for a short time before taking the number four, which may make it attractive to Guimaraes.

17, 18 and 19 are also available, numbers recently held by the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Leandro Trossard.

Bruno Guimaraes can wear his favourite shirt number at Arsenal

That said, suggestions of these portential shirt numbers for the Newcastle man are somewhat redundant, given the player's personal shirt number history.

Since breaking through into the Athletico Paraneanse team in the 2016/17 season, Guimaraes has almost exclusively worn the number 39 shirt. While a brief spell at the Brazilian club saw him swap to 16, and while he did briefly wear both six and seven at Lyon, he's worn 39 for a large period everywhere he's been.

39 is currently vacant at Arsenal, meaning the Gunners can offer Guimaraes his dream shirt. It was actually taken last season by Hale End star Harrison Dudziak, although the youngster was released this summer, opening the number up for Guimaraes to take if he lands in North London.

Not a particularly note-worthy number in Arsenal's history, although 39 has been donned in previous periods by the likes of Hector Bellerin, Vito Mannone and Kieran Gibbs.

If Guimaraes arrives at the Emirates and takes his dream number, Arsenal will have a somewhat unconventional distribution of central midfield shirt numbers. All four of their primary number sixes and number eights will wear numbers over 35 - Zubimendi (36), Guimaraes (39), Rice (41), Lewis-Skelly (49).

Why Bruno Guimaraes wears Number 39

Players who consistently wear slightly quirky shirt numbers usually have a distinct reason for this choice, and Guimaraes is no different.

Guimaraes has previously revealed that he wears the number because of his father.

"The number on my shirt tells a story more beautiful than words can express," he explained.

"I know that people think it's a strange number for a footballer.

"But for me, the 39 is special. It's magical. The number 39 has given me everything in life. It brought me here to Newcastle. It fed me, clothed me, and funded the trips that allowed me to realise my dream of becoming a footballer.

"The number 039 was my father's taxi number in Rio de Janeiro.

"My father drove that yellow taxi day and night so that I could eat. Now, when he walks through the streets of Newcastle, on the other side of the world, people stop him and ask for photos.

"That yellow taxi kept my dream alive."

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