Brazilian excels at winning free-kicks and conjuring results from them, hence why the champions were willing to spend £75m

Bruno Guimarães has broken a very niche record. His £75m move to Arsenal is the most expensive transfer for a midfielder aged at least 28. This should not be taken too seriously given the previous record holder, Zinedine Zidane, moved 25 years ago from Juventus to Real Madrid, and would have cost far more in 2026 money. But it shows how highly the Gunners rate the Brazilian to have spent so much on a player who will be in his 30s before the end of next year. It is a transfer for today, not tomorrow.

The question is why. One reason is that Guimarães rarely misses matches. Another is that he can play anywhere across midfield in the 4-3-3 formation Mikel Arteta often deploys. These attributes could be priceless with Declan Rice managing long-term nerve pain in his hamstring and Martin Ødegaard playing 40% of possible Premier League minutes last season.