Manager Mikel Arteta said the signing of Bruno Guimaraes will “ignite something different” in Arsenal and hinted that the Gunners are not done with their summer transfer activity.
Guimaraes’ arrival for £75m from Newcastle United was officially announced on Saturday and the 28-year-old midfielder was introduced to the fans inside Emirates Stadium before Sunday’s match against Borussia Dortmund.
Guimaraes was not included in the matchday squad for the 3-2 loss to Dortmund but is likely to be involved in the game against Como on Wednesday.
Arteta was quick to explain why he was so keen to bring the Brazilian to north London.
“I think he describes himself as a warrior,” he said. “I think he’s a warrior with a tremendous quality as well and intuition and leadership and charisma that is going to help us, that is going to really ignite something different in the team.
“I’m delighted to have him. 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. That’s the ambition that we need.
“We want to go to the next level and 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.”
The signing of Guimaraes means Arteta now has plenty of choice in midfield with Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Martin Zubimendi, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Ethan Nwaneri, Eberechi Eze and Mikel Merino all options in the middle of the pitch.