Bruno Guimarães has admitted he lost many nights of sleep over his decision to leave Newcastle United for Arsenal. The 28-year-old spent four years at St James' Park, becoming captain in 2024, before joining the Gunners for £75 million ($100 million) in the summer.
Newcastle sporting director Ross Wilson said at the time that the club had no wish to sell Guimarães during a turbulent transfer window, in which several players including Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali were sold while manager Eddie Howe also departed. The midfielder pushed to leave, releasing a statement calling it "one of the toughest decisions of my life."
Speaking to reporters after Arsenal's 2-2 draw at Bayern Munich on Wednesday, Guimarães said it was hard to say goodbye. "I had an amazing relationship with everyone at Newcastle," he said. "I remember, when I said bye to the lads, I was crying. They were crying as well, because we were a family there." He pointed to the club's first domestic trophy in 70 years, won when Newcastle beat Liverpool in the 2025 Carabao Cup Final, as proof of what he had contributed.
Guimarães endured a slow start at Arsenal because of a nagging groin injury but has since made 13 appearances, starting back-to-back Champions League games for the first time in Munich. He praised manager Mikel Arteta, saying the coach's meticulous attention to detail and use of video helps the team. "We always want to win," he said. "We have a top manager with a top mentality."
Source: ESPN Soccer · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing