Bruno Guimaraes presented five reasons to choose Arsenal over Newcastle for January transfer

It is easy to get fixated on specific players linked with a switch to Arsenal during both the January transfer window and the summer, with the belief that they would upgrade upon those already plying their trade in north London.

This is certainly the case for myself with a number of players who have previously seen reports connecting them with a move to Arsenal. Juan Mata, Eden Hazard and Dominik Szoboszlai all quickly and painfully come to mind.

Bruno Guimaraes is threatening to become the latest instalment. Indications suggest Newcastle are pushing hard to sign the Lyon midfielder and now, according to our colleagues at Chronicle Live, he is set to undergo a medical before making the switch to the northeast.

Therefore, for the purposes of justifying said frustration, below are several reasons why a switch to Arsenal would have made far more sense for the player.

Sitting in 18th place in the Premier League, the winter spending from Newcastle backed by their new Saudi-supported owners is a sign of what may be to come. Yet, the desperation now is to improve the squad so it can stay in the league.

However, big spending does not guarantee safety. Simply ask Queens Park Rangers. Guimaraes risks seeing the 2022/23 season in the Championship if Newcastle were to go down. Arsenal meanwhile would have zero risk of this attached whatsoever.

Leading swiftly onto the next point and Arsenal’s capacity to challenge for the top four this season. They sit in sixth and with enough games in hand over both Manchester United and West Ham to go above them should they win their reschedules matches.

Guimaraes would have come into a side with the ambitions of returning to the Champions League and establishing itself amongst Europe’s elite