Bruno Guimaraes signing proves Mikel Arteta has never had more power at Arsenal

Bruno Guimaraes to Arsenal is the ultimate statement of faith in Mikel Arteta. The Newcastle midfielder is set to join for around €87.5m, making him the most expensive midfielder above the age of 28 in football and the second-largest signing in the club's history. Arsenal are willing to ignore the usual concerns about resale value because Arteta asked for a ready-made performer who can improve the team immediately. Arteta's authority has grown season by season. In his first three years, Arsenal never spent more than €186m over a 12-month period. In two of the past three years, he has blown past that mark by a huge margin. Last summer, Arsenal also had the highest net spend in the Premier League, ahead of Liverpool, mainly because the Gunners raised little money from outgoings. The approach has changed completely from Arteta's early years, when Arsenal tried to find bargains and ended up relying on unproven signings such as Jakub Kiwior and Fabio Vieira. After finishing second in 2022/23, Arteta was trusted with €235m on three players: Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and Declan Rice. David Raya, Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino followed, but the biggest shift came when Andrea Berta arrived as sporting director in 2025 and spent nearly €300m last summer to solve Arteta's biggest problems. Those decisions helped Arsenal avoid burnout and win the Premier League last season. They could add Noni Madueke as a squad option, rotate Viktor Gyokeres with Havertz up front, and not depend on an unfit Gabriel Jesus. With Berta's near-total trust and one of the most complete squads in Premier League history, Arsenal are backing Arteta to build a dynasty. The Guimaraes deal is the latest proof of how powerful he has become.