Arsenal Get Bruno Guimaraes Warning: This Key Midfielder Will Suffer if Newcastle Captain Arrives

Former Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor has cautioned that Arsenal midfielder Martin Zubimendi could be relegated to a squad role if the club completes the signing of Newcastle United's Bruno Guimaraes.

The Gunners are reportedly in advanced negotiations for the Brazilian international after an initial bid was turned down by Newcastle on Monday. Agbonlahor, speaking on talkSPORT, suggested that while Guimaraes would strengthen the reigning Premier League champions, his arrival could have significant consequences for current players.

Zubimendi, who recently won the World Cup with Spain, enjoyed a successful debut season after joining from Real Sociedad last summer. The midfielder made 57 appearances across all competitions, contributing six goals and three assists. However, Agbonlahor fears his place in the starting lineup is now under threat.

"We were just talking, me and Jeff [Stelling] off-air, that probably says to Zubimendi, 'maybe you’re a squad player next season'," Agbonlahor commented, highlighting the potential shift in the team's hierarchy.

Arsenal's midfield is already undergoing changes, with Christian Norgaard set to join Everton after the clubs agreed on a fee of around £7 million. The 32-year-old has been granted permission to complete his medical with the Toffees. Furthermore, Declan Rice is expected to miss the start of the new campaign after being given an extended break to recover from a neural issue that affected him during England's World Cup run.

Despite the potential midfield shake-up, Agbonlahor believes Arsenal are already strong enough to defend their title, even without Guimaraes. "They don’t need a busy window," he explained. "(They) just won the Premier League and they’re going to strengthen."

He also weighed in on the transfer fee, arguing that Arsenal should not overpay for the 28-year-old midfielder. "I don’t think he should be the same fee as (Sandro) Tonali because of the age difference," Agbonlahor stated, referencing Tonali's £100 million move to Tottenham. "He’s three years older than Tonali. So you look at him, no sell-on value for Arsenal if they sign him. I think £75 million, £80 million is about right."

Should the deal for Guimaraes go through, he would be Arsenal's fourth signing of the summer. The club has already made Piero Hincapie's loan from Bayer Leverkusen permanent, signed winger Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge as a replacement for the departed Leandro Trossard, and brought in goalkeeper Illan Meslier from Leeds United.