Considering Guimaraes is right-footed then Arsenal may well encounter the same sort of problems they've had with Rice in the left 8 role. However, with experience of being a tempo setter and playing in a slightly more advanced role than the Gunners' no.41, he could suitably fill the role.
Unlike Merino too, he would arrive with experience of English football and thus knows exactly what it takes to keep things ticking over in the engine room of a Premier League club.
Bruno Guimaraes vs Declan Rice in 2024-25
Last season he scored seven goals and supplied ten assists, numbers that are certainly comparable to Xhaka's final campaign in the capital, while in 2024/25, he has netted three times and posted eight assists, numbers similar to Rice in the final third.
Comparing him to the club's record signing in a bit more detail, it's evident the Brazil international has got through more defensive work but that's not at the expense of his attacking involvements either.
Crucially, the "world-class" midfielder - as he was described by scout Jacek Kulig - also has that nasty side to his game that Xhaka so famously brought to several Arsenal sides.
In 2024/25, no player has been fouled more regularly than Guimaraes in the Premier League (92 times), while only nine players have committed more fouls than the Brazilian (42).
Premier League's most fouled players: 2024/25
Player
# of times fouled
#1 Bruno Guimaraes
92
#2 Anthony Gordon
58
#3 Matheus Cunha
58
#4 John McGinn
55
#5 Cole Palmer
53
#6 James Maddison
53
#7 Mohammed Kudus
49
#8 Youri Tielemans
47
#9 Georginio Rutter
45
#10 Moises Caicedo
44
Stats via WhoScored.
Not many players pick up more yellow cards either. Guimaraes was handed 14 in all competitions last term.
To put those numbers into context, Xhaka holds the record for the most fouls committed by an Arsenal player across a single Premier League season with 57. If we analyse the most yellow-carded players in Arsenal history, the Switzerland international appears regularly too.
bruno-guimaraes-newcastle-united-premier-league
Looking at the list for the top ten Arsenal players with the most yellow cards across a single Premier League campaign, Xhaka appears four times, picking up 40 cautions across the 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2021/22 seasons.
So, even if Guimaraes is more adept on his right foot, it's clear he'd bring a similar level of nastiness to Arteta's midfield. Perhaps that isn't a bad thing.
Arsenal-Bruno-Guimaraes
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