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Bruno Guimarães is set to make his first competitive start for Arsenal when the Gunners face Manchester City in the FA Community Shield on August 16 at Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
The Brazilian midfielder completed his move to Arsenal on August 8, 2026, in a deal worth £75 million. He signed a four-year contract with an option to extend by a further year and will wear the number 39 shirt at the Emirates.
From Tyneside to north London
Guimarães arrived at Newcastle from Lyon in 2022 and quickly became one of the Premier League’s most complete midfielders. He captained the Magpies, drove their European campaigns, and became the kind of player fans build songs around. Selling him was not a decision Newcastle made cheerfully: the club rejected Arsenal’s opening bid before eventually accepting a revised offer.
The transfer pushed Newcastle past £240 million in player sales for the summer window.
Guimarães got his first taste of Arsenal colors in a pre-season friendly against Como, coming off the bench to run the clock down. Community Shield duty will be a considerable step up from that audition.
Why this match matters
The Community Shield is traditionally contested between the reigning Premier League champions and the FA Cup winners. Arsenal enters the match as the defending league title holders, facing Manchester City.
Since completing his move, Guimarães has spoken publicly about wanting to win trophies. Staying at Newcastle would have been the comfortable choice. Moving to Arsenal was the ambitious one.
The Principality Stadium in Cardiff seats over 74,000. Guimarães will walk out in front of a crowd that includes thousands of Arsenal and Manchester City fans who will have made the trip specifically to see how this new-look Arsenal performs.
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