Newcastle United’s captain Bruno Guimaraes has reportedly informed the club of his intention to leave this summer, amid strong interest from Premier League champions Arsenal.

According to reports from Standard Sport in June, Arsenal had held preliminary discussions with representatives of Guimaraes to assess his potential availability following Newcastle’s failure to qualify for European competition.

Those initial talks were said to have gone well, encouraging the Gunners to formalise their interest. Arsenal are believed to have proposed a bid in the region of £55 million during conversations with the player’s camp.

Two weeks on, the North London club have now received further positive signals from Guimaraes himself and are expected to initiate direct negotiations with Newcastle in the form of an official offer.

However, Newcastle remain adamant that their influential captain and standout performer is not for sale under any circumstances.

The Magpies have already endured significant departures this summer, with Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali both leaving for a combined fee of £162 million, a figure that could eventually rise to around £170 million.

This follows the high-profile exit of striker Alexander Isak, who joined Liverpool last year for £120 million.

Guimaraes, aged 28, currently has two years remaining on his existing contract, with Newcastle holding an option to extend it by an additional 12 months.

Meanwhile, Arsenal have had a relatively quiet start to the transfer window. Piero Hincapie’s loan spell was made permanent in a £35 million deal, while former Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier is expected to join on a free transfer.

On the international front, Guimaraes endured disappointment with Brazil at the World Cup, as the Selecao were eliminated by Norway on Sunday. The midfielder saw a first-half penalty saved in what proved to be Brazil’s earliest World Cup exit since 1990, having failed to reach the quarter-finals for the first time in over three decades.