Newcastle rejects Arsenal's first bid for Bruno Guimarães

Newcastle United rejected Arsenal's first bid for captain Bruno Guimarães, who has two years remaining on his contract with the club. Arsenal had made an opening offer of £70 million, which Newcastle turned down.

The transfer negotiations between Arsenal and Guimarães began as Arsenal sought to strengthen their midfield. Guimarães had recently rejoined Newcastle's training camp after a holiday in Brazil following the World Cup. Upon his arrival in La Manga, he met Newcastle's incoming manager, Matthias Jaissle, for the first time.

Despite rumors that the 28-year-old midfielder would travel to London for a medical examination, he instead took a flight to Spain. Guimarães was expected to discuss his desire to move to Arsenal with Jaissle, however, Newcastle's valuation of the player remains a crucial factor in the negotiations.

Newcastle values Guimarães at approximately £80 million, whereas Arsenal views him as worth around £70 million. As a result, the negotiations are at a standstill, with Newcastle under no pressure to sell given their recent player sales, including Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali.

Jaissle, who comes to Newcastle after a successful stint in Saudi Arabia, is focused on assessing Guimarães as he prepares for the upcoming Premier League match against Liverpool in two weeks. Although Jaissle is yet to be officially confirmed as Eddie Howe's successor, he has been working with his squad since Saturday.

In addition, Newcastle made a signing on Monday, completing the £26 million transfer of goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek from Braga. The 24-year-old is expected to replace Nick Pope, who is likely to leave St James' Park. Hornicek, praised for his performance last season that included seven clean sheets in the Europa League, turned down a move to Hull City last month.