Back on Saturday 8 August 2026 it was announced that Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes had signed for Arsenal.

Throughout the summer transfer window it had become clear that the Gunners were doing everything they could to get the Brazil international on the cheap.

Arsenal attempting to take advantage of the fact that Bruno Guimaraes was willing to leave, Mikel Arteta and the North London club trying to sign United’s best and most important player for £50m or less and shamelessly using media stooges to try and force Newcastle’s hand.

One thing we had learned with the sales of players such as Alexander Isak (£125m), Sandro Tonali (£100m) and Anthony Gordon (£70m), was that these Newcastle United owners were never going to allow any player leave for less than the club’s valuation.

In the event, Arsenal eventually accepted that they had to belatedly act in a professional manner, made an official approach and Newcastle United reluctantly accepted £75m for a player who in November will turn 29.

That transfer fee was very likely excessive for Bruno Guimaraes when you are just coldly looking at finances and overall profile of a player.

However, nobody at Newcastle United, whether the owners, players, manager, fans, would have chosen to sell at even that price.

It was only because Bruno Guimaraes wanted out and the club reluctantly allowed him to leave.

Eleven weeks on and well into this 2026-27 season, the Arsenal player has for ‘some’ reason decided to revisit the moment he left Newcastle United.

Bruno Guimaraes releasing a statement declaring it was “one of the toughest decisions of my life”…

The Arsenal player stating: “It was very difficult for me because I had an amazing relationship with everyone at Newcastle United…I did my best for the club. I was there for almost five years and inside of me, I just wanted a new challenge. To be fair, it was very tough for me to make this decision because I really enjoyed my time at the club, the affection I had for the fans. It was a difficult one. I lost many, many nights of sleep because it was difficult for me, for my family…I think I did great for Newcastle. We won a trophy after 70 years. We got into the Champions League twice. We got to two finals. I think I did what I could for the club. I wish them all the best because they were so nice to me. It is just time to move on. I have been enjoying my time here at Arsenal as well.”

Why now?

You it almost as if Arsenal are due to visit St James’ Park and that fact is now in the forefront of Bruno Guimaraes’ mind…

Put it this way, Bruno Guimaraes came out with this straight after he had played away against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, surely the kind of thing that had been key to him insisting on wanting to leave Newcastle United.

Why be thinking of meeting up again with all those he loved at Newcastle United when he was in the middle of something so important for his new club?

Bruno Guimaraes going on to say: “It was not just hard to tell Eddie [Howe], but to tell the owners, my team-mates. But I think the club went to a new rotation, a lot of players left as well. The gaffer left as well. It was tough, because my connection with the club was unbelievable. I never felt so loved like the way I was at Newcastle. I hope I can have the same love here at Arsenal, but the connection I had was unbelievable. It was hard for me to say bye to them. I remember, when I said bye to the lads, I was crying. They were crying as well, because we were a family there.”

I think Bruno Guimaraes should put his violin away.

Nobody put a gun to his head, he chose to leave St James’ Park.

Personally, I don’t have a problem with that. Almost all players decide to leave one or more clubs at some point and/or the clubs decide that themselves.

You can’t have it both ways though.

Eddie Howe, the Newcastle United players and fans, were special to Bruno Guimaraes, just not special enough.

Bruno Guimaraes simply showed us that he was not really any different to any other player, making a decision for his own benefit at the expense of the club that he says was so special to him.

He made the decision, nobody else, so now he has to accept the consequences when he visits St James’ Park.

Claiming once again how painful it was to make the decision just doesn’t wash.

I won’t be giving Bruno Guimaraes any abuse on Saturday 21 November but I won’t be clapping him either.

He chose to play for another club and their fans, he is no longer anything special at Newcastle United.

He was when he was here but that was the past.