Bruno Guimarães remains Arsenal’s top midfield target in this summer’s Arsenal transfer news cycle, but Newcastle’s refusal to sell their captain has forced Mikel Arteta’s recruitment team to line up a backup plan.
According to reporting from The Telegraph, relayed by CaughtOffside, Arsenal already have two alternatives in place if the Guimarães deal doesn’t materialize.
Arsenal’s two Bruno Guimarães alternatives are Bournemouth’s Alex Scott and Roma’s Manu Koné.
Newcastle’s refusal to sell their captain, even after Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon’s exits, is what’s making the Guimarães deal so difficult. Of the two, Scott is currently viewed as the more realistic and lower-risk target.
Newcastle have already lost Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon this summer, on top of selling Alexander Isak to Liverpool last year, and simply aren’t willing to let another star name leave St James’ Park.
The Magpies continue to insist Guimarães isn’t for sale, which means Arsenal would need to submit an enormous bid — well above the Brazilian’s valuation — to have any real chance of prising him away.
Sources close to the player have told TeamTalk that Guimarães has already agreed personal terms with Arsenal and is hopeful of avoiding a return to Newcastle’s pre-season training camp altogether.
It is a stronger signal of genuine intent than the usual round of transfer speculation.
| Age | 22 |
| Club | Bournemouth |
| Contract expires | June 2028 |
| Market value | ~€40m |
| 2025-26 Premier League | 37 apps, 3 goals, 1 assist |
Bournemouth’s Alex Scott has emerged as Arsenal’s most talked-about fallback option, having turned down a new contract at the Vitality Stadium.
He started 34 of Bournemouth’s 38 Premier League matches last season as they secured European qualification for the first time in the club’s history, and he’s not short of suitors.
Sky Sports have reported that Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea are also interested, meaning Arsenal wouldn’t necessarily have a clear run at him even as a “backup” option.
| Age | 25 |
| Club | AS Roma |
| Contract expires | June 2029 |
| Market value | ~€50m |
| 2025-26 Serie A | 29 apps, 2 goals, 3 assists |
The second name is more speculative but has genuine substance behind it.
Italian reporting relayed by Hayters suggests Arsenal have been in contact over signing Roma’s Manu Koné
However , as with most Italian-sourced transfer reports — it’s worth treating with some caution until it’s corroborated by reporters with a stronger track record on Arsenal specifically.
Koné isn’t a ready-made Premier League performer in the sense of having played there before, but he’s physically suited to English football.
The 25-yeat-old has become first-choice for Roma’s title-chasing side, with Manchester United, Inter Milan and PSG all also credited with interest.
Guimarães is, by some distance, the safer and more immediately impactful signing.
The Brazilian is a proven Premier League performer who could walk into Arsenal’s starting eleven and contribute to a title challenge from day one.
Scott represents a higher ceiling but a longer-term bet, with his end product — goals and assists — still needing to develop before he matches Guimarães’s current output.
Koné sits somewhere in between: more the finished article in terms of physical readiness than Scott, but with no Premier League experience.
Who could Arsenal sign instead of Bruno Guimarães?
Bournemouth’s Alex Scott and Roma’s Manu Koné are the two alternatives most consistently reported, with Scott viewed as the more advanced target.
Why won’t Newcastle sell Bruno Guimarães?
Newcastle have already lost Sandro Tonali, Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak in recent windows and are resistant to letting another key player leave, despite Guimarães’s own reported desire to join Arsenal.
Is Alex Scott joining Arsenal?
Not confirmed. He’s one of several reported targets, with Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea also credited with interest, and Bournemouth trying to tie him to a new contract.
Is Manu Koné an Arsenal target?
Reported by Italian outlet Corriere della Sera, but not yet corroborated by reporters with a stronger Arsenal-specific track record, so it should be treated as more speculative than the Scott links.
Arsenal are reportedly right to keep both options alive rather than committing fully to one outcome, but there’s a real risk in letting this drag on.
If Bournemouth’s valuation of Scott climbs to “elite” levels purely because he’s viewed as Arsenal’s Plan B, the smarter move for the Gunners might be to set a deadline with Newcastle.
This is to force a decision on the Bruno Guimarães transfer, rather than get dragged into an expensive chase for a fallback option that was never supposed to cost that much in the first place.
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