Arsenal are the latest club to twist the knife into Newcastle, whose miserable summer continues to go from bad to worse. After losing Alexander Isak last summer, Newcastle have had to sell Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and now Bruno Guimaraes. And if that wasn’t bad enough, they also had to sit back and watch manager Eddie Howe walk out the door.
It’s been a brutal summer for the Magpies, but Arsenal will be licking their lips after securing the services of Guimaraes. The midfielder is set for a move to the Emirates Stadium outfit, after a £75million was confirmed between Newcastle and Arsenal. Guimaraes, who is now 28 years old, has impressed for Newcastle in the Premier League and European competition, but was ready for a fresh challenge.
At Arsenal, he’ll certainly get that. While the north Londoners are defending champions, they have never retained the championship in the Premier League era. Guimaraes is part of the squad that will be looking to change that, and upon arriving at the club, he could be granted a welcome present.
That’s because the shirt number he currently wears, 39, is free to be picked, should he wish to do so. The midfield general has worn the number 39 throughout his career, including stints at Lyon and Athletico Paranaense.
He has previously opened up about the decision to wear No.39, saying: “The number on my shirt tells a story more beautiful than words can express. I know that people think it’s a strange number for a footballer.
“But for me, the 39 is special. It’s magical. The number 39 has given me everything in life. It brought me here to Newcastle. It fed me, clothed me, and funded the trips that allowed me to realise my dream of becoming a footballer.
“The number 039 was my father’s taxi number in Rio de Janeiro. My father drove that yellow taxi day and night so that I could eat. Now, when he walks through the streets of Newcastle, on the other side of the world, people stop him and ask for photos. That yellow taxi kept my dream alive.”
It would be an unusual move at this stage to change, given it has been a fixture of his career so far. As such, Arsenal fans can expect to see their new No.39 ripping it up in midfield when the new campaign gets underway.