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Guimaraes reshapes Arteta's calculations: who ends up paying the price for the £75 million move?

The transfer has sparked a fresh battle in midfield and leaves Zubimendi facing a difficult question.

Arsenal believe Brazil international Bruno Guimaraes, signed from Newcastle United for £75 million, could be the player who alters the balance of the entire midfield unit.

The 28-year-old offers a rare mix at Emirates Stadium: the physical presence to operate deep, the technical ability to drive forward, and the attacking output that could give Mikel Arteta options he has not previously enjoyed.

Even so, his arrival also creates selection dilemmas. Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, Martin Odegaard, Mikel Merino and Myles Lewis-Skelly are already part of the squad, and the Arsenal manager must now rethink responsibilities and spaces across the middle of the pitch.

One player, several possible roles

One of Guimaraes's greatest assets is that he can perform more than one function in midfield.

The Brazilian is capable of sitting deep as the anchor, in the No. 6 role, while also moving further forward as a No. 8, which is the position he prefers.

Guimaraes previously made that preference clear when he said: "If you ask me, I would say I prefer to play in the number 8 position, but my role in the number 6 position was exactly what the team needed. I can play in both positions, and the most important thing for me is to play and help the team."

At Newcastle, he initially had to operate as the holding midfielder before later moving into his favoured role once Sandro Tonali took over more of the defensive midfield responsibility.

That adaptability appears tailor-made for Arteta. The Arsenal boss values footballers who can change position and respond to whatever a match requires.

A "warrior" with real creative quality

Guimaraes describes himself as a "warrior", but his game is about much more than strength and physical contests.

The Brazil international stays calm under pressure, protects possession, and breaks opposition lines with his passing. He also contributes goals and assists.

In 153 Premier League appearances for Newcastle, Guimaraes has scored 30 goals and registered 25 assists. Those numbers underline his ability to give Arsenal extra attacking threat from deep midfield areas.

He produced 4 goals and 5 assists in one season despite playing mainly as a holding midfielder, before improving that return to 7 goals and 8 assists in the following campaign.

This is one of the biggest reasons the deal appeals to Arteta. Guimaraes can begin a match as a defensive midfielder and still develop into an extra attacking presence in the final third.

Rice: the ideal midfield partner?

One route Arteta could take is to pair Guimaraes with Declan Rice in midfield, a combination that would give the Spanish coach power, intensity and tactical flexibility in abundance.

Last season, Rice became increasingly comfortable on the left side of central midfield while Zubimendi anchored behind him. The England international also dropped deeper at times and formed a midfield pairing with Lewis-Skelly.

Like Guimaraes, Rice is able to cover enormous ground. He also offers tactical discipline and the capacity to carry his team from defence into attack.

If Arteta uses that pairing, he would have more freedom to place Martin Odegaard or Eberechi Eze in the playmaking role. He could also move either Rice or Guimaraes into more advanced areas depending on how the game develops.

Guimaraes may be every bit as creative as Odegaard

There is good reason for the excitement around the Guimaraes transfer. He gives Arsenal added physicality, but the statistics also support his ability to create from midfield.

Last season, the Brazilian averaged 8.6 line-breaking passes per 90 minutes, a number that clearly surpasses Rice and Zubimendi and comes close to Odegaard, according to Sky Sports statistics.

His forward-pass ratio was almost level with that of the Arsenal captain, and he even outperformed him in forward-passing accuracy.

So if Arsenal were to lose Odegaard for any reason, they would not automatically lose one of their main deep creative outlets. Guimaraes is capable of taking on part of that responsibility.

What does it mean for Zubimendi?

Guimaraes joining does not automatically remove Zubimendi from Arteta's plans, but it does create room for clear changes in the way the Spaniard is deployed.

Zubimendi showed last season that he was an important figure in the No. 6 role, scoring 5 Premier League goals despite playing in a largely defensive position.

If Arteta wants to prioritise physical dominance, he could field Guimaraes, Zubimendi and Rice together in a hugely powerful three-man midfield, even if that means sacrificing a more creative player in an advanced role.

If he wants greater attacking variety, however, the Arsenal manager could instead use Guimaraes as the No. 8, with Zubimendi behind him and Rice on the opposite side.

Lewis-Skelly now faces stronger competition

Myles Lewis-Skelly is among the players who may feel the biggest impact from Guimaraes's arrival.

The youngster finished last season as one of Arteta's important midfield options, receiving significant minutes after being moved into that role.

Guimaraes changes the picture considerably. The Brazilian has not joined Arsenal to be a substitute, and his presence significantly increases the competition for places.

Even so, Arsenal's packed schedule could still provide Lewis-Skelly with plenty of opportunities.

The side played 63 matches last season and will once again compete on several fronts. That means Arteta will have to rotate regularly, especially while dealing with injuries, suspensions and fluctuations in players' physical condition.

A signing to reduce the burden, or to rebuild the midfield?

Arsenal's move for Guimaraes is partly driven by the need to spread the workload more evenly across the squad.

Last season, Arteta relied heavily on Rice and Zubimendi, with both players going beyond the 4,000-minute mark.

Injuries to Odegaard, Merino and Kai Havertz only increased that dependence, while Arteta was not fully convinced by some of the other available options.

Christian Norgaard's transfer to Everton has created space in the squad. But Guimaraes arriving at the same time raises fresh questions about midfield congestion.

Ethan Nwaneri has returned from loan, Fabio Vieira is back as well, and Lewis-Skelly continues to battle for his place.

Guimaraes is not a peripheral addition

For Arsenal, Guimaraes is far more than a simple squad-depth signing.

Newcastle had valued their captain at around £80 million. Arsenal have paid £75 million for a player who combines power, quality, experience and tactical versatility.

He is also joining a team that is already well stocked in midfield, which means Arteta no longer has the luxury of using every player in the same way.