Eddie Howe directly addresses Arsenal's interest in Bruno Guimaraes for the first time as 'agreement reached'

Bruno Guimaraes has been the subject of interest from Arsenal this summer, and now Eddie Howe has finally addressed the potential exit of Newcastle United’s captain.

It is believed that the Magpies value the midfielder at £100 million, but Arsenal’s are understood to be only willing to offer £70 million to sign the Brazilian international.

Newcastle have a history of standing firm when it comes to selling their best players, as they got £125 million for Alexander Isak last summer after a long, drawn-out saga with Liverpool.

While they have got significant fees this summer for Sandro Tonali (£100m), who joined Tottenham Hotspur, and Anthony Gordon (£80m), who signed for Barcelona.

The Gunners will be hopeful they do not get bogged down in a transfer saga to sign Guimaraes the way that Liverpool did last season, but Eddie Howe’s latest comments regarding the situation may have Arsenal supporters worried that this may happen.

Speaking to the Shields Gazette, How said: “We don't want to lose our best players.

“That's an obvious statement to make. Losing those big two is painful for us and difficult. For me, it's been another challenging summer so far.

“We're always trying to do our best for the football club, short and long term, and try and get the squad in its best shape.

“I've spoken to him as I would do. Bruno, normally, is just a fantastic person. We've had some really good conversations, both before the World Cup, during the World Cup, and after the World Cup. What we speak about obviously has to remain private. He's just a great player and a great person.”

At present, Guimaraes is currently on holiday after taking part in the World Cup with Brazil, with Howe expecting him to return to the club for training at the end of July.

Arsenal’s summer transfer targets

The Gunners are aiming to retain their Premier League title this season after they won the crown for the first time since 2004; however, they were unable to lift the Champions League as they lost the final to PSG.

Mikel Arteta’s side has been linked to several high-profile names to build a side capable of winning their first ever Champions League.

This has seen the club surprisingly linked to a deal for Spurs’ captain Cristian Romero, and while reports have seen them linked to a move for Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior.

Leandro Trossard’s departure along with the potential exit of Gabriel Martinelli has seen them linked with several left wingers, including Vinicius Junior, Morgan Rodgers and Bradley Barcola.

Meanwhile, Arsenal have also been linked with Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez as the club look to add to their striking options.

This summer promises to be the most exciting for Arsenal fans in a long time due to their Premier League title, and the willingness the club have shown in recent seasons to spend money if it is the right player, like they did with Declan Rice.