Bruno Guimaraes revealed Declan Rice was among the first Arsenal players to congratulate him upon completing his move to the Premier League champions.
Mikel Arteta already boasted one of the most formidable midfields in Europe, but his engine room looks significantly stronger with the addition of the former Newcastle United captain.
The Gunners have secured the 28-year-old’s services for a fee of £75million, with Guimaraes having signed a contract until 2030 plus the option of a further year.
Arsenal were already able to boast the considerable talents of Rice, Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Merino and Myles Lewis-Skelly, but Bruno’s industry, combative edge and creativity in the final third will add extra dimensions to the north London club’s midfield.
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The Brazil international has enjoyed many battles with Arsenal down the years and has been involved in several flashpoints in recent seasons.
Altercations with Jorginho and Rice are now, however, water under the bridge as far as Bruno is concerned and he cannot wait to work in tandem with the England international.
‘[Declan] Rice sent me a message: “Come here and please no more fights, now we’re friends”,’ Bruno told Arsenal’s official website.
‘I was happy he messaged me, but the midfield we have here, in my point of view, is one of the best in Europe.’
Rice was not the only Arsenal star to have been in touch with the club’s latest big-money signing with Bruno also revealing that his international teammate, Gabriel Magalhaes, had been encouraging to leave St James’ Park for the Emirates.
He said: ‘Big Gabi was very excited. Every time he sent me the message, “We’ll wait for you, when will you come?”
‘I’m so excited to join them, not only the Brazilians, we have an amazing squad here.’
Signing a player of Bruno’s experience and versatility represents another feather in the cap of sporting director, Andrea Berta, who pointedly remarked Arsenal’s latest recruit will help Arteta evolved the playing style of a team who were criticised last year for relying too heavily on their defensive strengths.
‘We are delighted to welcome Bruno Guimaraes to our club,’ he said.
‘Bruno is a player with a great mentality and great quality, who will bring strong leadership to our squad.
‘With Bruno joining us, we are further strengthening the heart of our team. As we have all seen, Bruno can play as a defensive midfielder and as a box-to-box player. He combines quality with quantity, and has provided goals and assists for his team every year.
‘Bruno will allow Mikel to further develop our playing style and will also increase our internal competitiveness, which is essential for maintaining the standards required when we are aiming to win major trophies.’
