Bruno Guimaraes came off the bench to make his debut for Arsenal in their 1-1 draw in a pre-season friendly against Como on Wednesday and fans have given their thoughts on his display.

The Brazilian midfielder completed a £75 million move to the Gunners from Newcastle United last weekend after pushing for the switch. He joins an already star-studded midfield which includes Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Martin Zubimendi.

The Emirates faithful got their first look at Guimaraes in the club’s colours when he came on at half-time against the Italians. He will be expected to be a starter once the season gets underway, and his new side clashes with Manchester City in the Community Shield next Sunday, August 16th.

Arsenal Fans React to Guimaraes Debut

Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs

Arsenal took the lead through Myles Lewis-Skelly who capitalized on poor goalkeeping to put his side in front. He appeared to send a message to his club’s fans with his celebration amid talk of a potential exit.

Cesc Fabregas’ visitors equalized through a superb strike from Croatian midfielder Martin Baturina. His quick feet saw him cut inside the box and send a fierce effort into the roof of the net.

Guimaraes came on for Arsenal starlet Max Dowman and made a good impression on his non-competitive debut. He helped control the tempo in the middle of the park, but fans couldn’t see him partner Rice, who is working on his fitness following the World Cup.

They instead watched the former Newcastle captain line up alongside Odegaard and Mikel Merino in Mikel Arteta’s midfield. He completed 23 of 26 passes, 17 of 20 of those coming in the Como half, and won both of his tackles.

Fans were impressed with what they saw from the 28-year-old, with one fan writing on X: “All Bruno G had to do was play a few vertical passes, and he’s moved me lmao.”

Another supporter added: “The difference in our midfield with Bruno in place is already clear. We finally have someone who moves the ball quickly and can break lines with his passing. We just need to provide him with some quality wingers because Martinelli has once again shown tonight why we need a significant upgrade.”

One hailed the Brazilian: “Every Bruno G touch is so elegant man. Clean on the ball.”

Another responded: “Bruno G is nuts omds.”

This was echoed by another: “With the addition of Skelly and Bruno G, we are going to see a very much fluid Arsenal this season. I can guarantee that. Just need Arteta to be brave with his rotations.”

Guimaraes, who also scored a penalty in a post-match shootout, has long been regarded as one of the most gifted midfielders in the Premier League. He wowed fans throughout his time at St James’ Park, which is why they are devastated to see him join Arteta’s champions.

Arteta Already Impressed With Guimaraes

Guimaraes has seemingly already made an impact on the training pitch, having only been an Arsenal player since last Saturday. He was presented by the club following a 3-2 loss to Borussia Dortmund and trained with the squad ahead of tonight’s draw against Como.

Arteta gave an insight into what the Brazilian has already brought to the club just days into his Emirates career:

“Well, we see very clearly, especially the energy that he brought immediately to the training ground, the hunger, the desire to come here and create a big history at the club. And that’s the ambition that we need.”

He added: “We want to go to the next level and [we are] very, very much convinced that we’re going to need players with such a personality, desire and character to push everybody inside the organisation to go even higher.”

Guimaraes was a key member of the Newcastle side that won the Carabao Cup in 2025, captaining the Magpies to their first major domestic trophy since 1955. He made 195 appearances during his time on Tyneside and will be hoping to add more silverware to his trophy cabinet after joining the Premier League champions.

Newcastle United are now said to have ‘opened talks’ over a deal to sign Benfica defender Amar Dedic, and fans will be relieved. The Magpies are now beginning a new era under new boss Matthias Jaissle, but there are worries aplenty ahead of the new season.

The Newcastle squad has been decimated this summer, with Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Anthomy Gordon have all left, not to mention head coach Eddie Howe, who has been a rock at the helm over recent years. The Magpies have done plenty of business in a bid to replace those players, but many fans are still not convinced the ingredients are there for success, however good Jaissle is.

Newcastle fans concerned after pre-season friendly

Newcastle lost to Everton in a pre-season friendly on Wednesday night, conceding far too easily. The performance concerned many Toon fans, who took to social media to express their concern over the defence.

Jaissle may well feel he needs more at the back before the transfer window closes, and it does seem as though Newcastle are planning to make another defensive signing.

Newcastle’s summer signings so far

• Bazoumana Touré
• Aladji Bamba
• Lukas Hornicek
• Sean Steur
• Ewen Joauen

Newcastle now in talks over right-back deal

According to TeamTalk, Newcastle are in talks over a deal to sign Dedic, and the right-back is said to be up for the move to the North-East. Dedic played a key role in Benfica going unbeaten in the league under José Mourinho last season, although they didn’t quite do enough to win the title.

Dedic, who is 23 years of age, represented Bosnia and Herzegovina at the World Cup this summer, and Benfica know he is a valuable asset. It’s claimed there is a £25.6million asking price for the full-back, and while talks are ongoing between Newcastle and Benfica, it will come down to whether the Magpies are willing to pay the money for the full-back.

Newcastle have lost Kieran Trippier, Emil Krafth and Matt Targett in recent times, and that has left Tino Livramento and youngster Leo Shahar as the remaining options. Jaissle may well feel as though he wants a more senior option to provide competition for Livramento, and the fans appear to feel the same way.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly accelerating a move to sign Monaco striker Folarin Balogun, but they have a better option available to them right in front of their eyes in the Premier League.

In terms of their defence and midfield, Tottenham are ready to go ahead of the new season, but Roberto De Zerbi is yet to add the attacking upgrades he wants with less than a fortnight to go until they kick off their Premier League campaign with a trip to Brentford.

According to GMS sources, Spurs want to bring both Savinho and Cody Gakpo in from Manchester City and Liverpool respectively, but they are unlikely to make progress on those deals until their rivals have secured replacements.

De Zerbi suggested in recent weeks that there could be two or three more arrivals at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, including the aforementioned duo, with the possibility of a striker also joining.

While any move could depend on Richarlison leaving, L’Equipe claimed on Tuesday night that the north London club are now accelerating a £51m move to sign the USA international.

Romano: ‘Nothing Concrete’ on Balogun Joining Tottenham

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Kiyoshi Mio

Responding to the rumours on Wednesday morning, Fabrizio Romano has denied that Spurs are ramping up their interest in the 25-year-old former Arsenal striker.

The Italian journalist says that while Saudi clubs and Galatasaray have contacted Monaco over the conditions of a deal, there is ‘nothing concrete’ in links with Tottenham.

Balogun is being monitored by a number of clubs across Europe following an outstanding 2025-26 campaign which saw him score 19 goals for the Ligue 1 outfit, before netting a further three for his country as they hosted the 2026 World Cup.

The striker isn’t the only one where there is a deal to be done if Tottenham want to do it, according to a top Spurs source on X, with Crystal Palace star Jean-Philippe Mateta another option.

Why Tottenham Must Sign Jean-Philippe Mateta Instead

via Reuters

A move for Balogun would seem risky for a few reasons, not least the fact that he is an ex-Arsenal player who fans could turn on quickly should he get off to a bad start.

De Zerbi has also clearly made having Premier League experience a key prerequisite for his summer targets, with all six arrivals so far having plenty of it, with Savinho and Gakpo also fitting that criteria.

Balogun has made two English top flight appearances in his career, which is in stark contrast to Mateta’s record at this level.

The Frenchman has been on the scene for so long it may be a surprise that he has only just celebrated his 29th birthday, but he still has plenty to offer to a club like Tottenham.

He is tall, he is strong and, most importantly, he has shown he is a clinical finisher in the box, as shown by 12 goals in 32 Premier League appearances for the Eagles last term.

Opta have described him as being ‘among Europe’s best strikers’ and it isn’t hard to see why, with Wayne Rooney one of the pundits who have waxed lyrical about him in recent years.

With less than one year remaining on his contract, there will also be an expectation that the 29-year-old will be a much cheaper option than the £51m fee mooted for Balogun, which could prove to be a bargain – especially in the short-term, as De Zerbi looks for immediate success.