Bruno Guimaraes is proving with World Cup displays for Brazil why he is the perfect signing for Arsenal - but that doesn't mean Gunners should cast Norway star Martin Odegaard aside

Odegaard had his doubters at club level last season, with certain pundits and sections of Arsenal's own support calling for him to be dropped and even sold this summer - which is all the more remarkable given he became their first title-winning captain in 22 years.

Their frustrations are largely rooted in the perception that Odegaard would too often take the safe option as a No.10 and had a tendency to let games pass him by, rather than grab them by the scruff of the neck. The attacking midfielder did struggle to make an impact at times, with niggling injuries taking their toll, although he still finished the season with a creditable seven assists from 24 Premier League appearances.

At the World Cup, though, Odegaard has reminded everyone what he is all about; playing with the freedom of a man who isn't burdened by the pressure to end an agonisingly long wait for a league title at club level, Odegaard has looked much more himself across three dynamic displays. He should have done enough to silence his critics and perhaps convince the club that selling him would be a mistake.

Norway's captain has three assists in as many outings so far in North America, teeing up Leo Ostigard's header against Iraq from a corner, rolling an inch-perfect pass into Haaland in the clash with Senegal and picking out Antonio Nusa in the lead-up to his wonder goal against Ivory Coast.

That feat means Odegaard has become just the third men's player to create a goal in each of his first three World Cup appearances since records began in 1966, and the first to assist in three World Cup games in a row since Dirk Kuyt in 2010, per Opta. In the last 32 against Les Elephants, he had 90 touches of the ball and played it forward 18 times - more than any other player.

This is really nothing new for the 27-year-old in national team colours. Despite missing three of eight qualifying matches for the tournament through injury, Odegaard still laid on seven goals - including three in one game against Israel. That's more than any other player in Europe.

Brazil's Guimaraes has started the World Cup in similarly fine fashion. He might not be as technically gifted or celebrated as the star names of past, gilded Selecao generations, but the Newcastle captain has arguably been his country's most important player at the tournament so far.

The midfielder has racked up one more assist than Odegaard, squeezing a pass into Vinicius for his sublime equaliser against Morocco, supplying the winger again for a header against Scotland and later dancing through the defence before laying the ball off to Matheus Cunha to sweep home. He then notched his fourth and most important by keeping his cool to pick out Gabriel Martinelli for Brazil's dramatic, 96th-minute winner against Japan in the last 32.

That saw Guimaraes become just the fourth player to assist four goals at a World Cup in the 21st century, after Germany's Michael Ballack (2002), Italy icon Totti (2006) and Juan Cuadrado of Colombia (2014), albeit he was soon joined by France's Olise. The Brazilian has also created the third-most chances of any midfielder at this World Cup (nine), and his tirelessness is reflected in the fact he has cumulatively run the equivalent of a marathon across his four appearances so far (44.4km).

Brazil's iconic manager Carlo Ancelotti is under no illusions as to Guimaraes' importance to his side's cause, as a flawed squad looks to live up to typically sky-high expectations back home.

"Bruno is a very important player, very consistent in the game, always making a very good contribution defensively and offensively," the Italian tactician said after the triumph over Japan. "He provided a fantastic assist, and I'm very happy because Bruno has a very big heart."

That sentiment was echoed by the midfielder's now-former Newcastle team-mate Emil Krafth. "He's the most important player in the team," the defender told the BBC. "He manages the game so well, both physically and technically.

"I hope they [Newcastle] can keep him. There's a lot of rumours surrounding him, which is not surprising because he's had a good World Cup and a great season."

Whether or not Newcastle can keep hold of their skipper is now the big question, as Guimaraes is only enhancing his reputation as one of the planet's finest midfielders on world football's biggest stage. It emerged in late June that Arsenal had seen an informal proposal of around £55m ($73m) knocked back by the Magpies, who are adamant their captain is not for sale this summer. However, it has since been reported that the player's head may have been turned.

Newcastle's case isn't helped by the fact Guimaraes is away on international duty with Gunners stars Martinelli and Gabriel Magalhaes, who will undoubtedly be in his ear, and his current employers cannot offer any form of European football next season after finishing a lowly 12th in the Premier League in 2025-26.

It has been suggested that the north Londoners believe an improved bid of £65m ($87m) would be enough to prise the Brazilian away from St James' Park, as his contract is due to expire in two years' time and his 29th birthday is not too far off. That hypothetical deal would be a very shrewd bit of business from Arsenal, especially in light of their fierce rivals Tottenham's imminent £100m ($133m) splurge on Guimaraes' Newcastle colleague Sandro Tonali, who is unquestionably an inferior midfielder.

However, it remains to be seen whether the substantial intake from Tonali's exit, as well as the £69m ($93m) sale of Anthony Gordon to Barcelona, means the Tynesiders are under no pressure to sell.

Arsenal fans, then, will have a particularly keen eye on this World Cup last-16 showdown as their club captain goes head to head with the man who could take their midfield to the next level.

The Gunners will already be favourites to retain their long-awaited Premier League title next season, but the addition of Guimaraes might just wrap it up before a ball has been kicked. Signing Spain's Martin Zubimendi last summer was one thing, but having Bruno alongside Declan Rice and Odegaard in the middle of the park is quite another.

That trio is a mouth-watering prospect; Rice would continue to operate as a defensive-minded, box-to-box shuttler, Guimaraes can chip in with the dirty work, hard running and creativity as a No.8, and Odegaard would be freed to create at the top of the pitch, in the knowledge that his side are in safe hands in transition and without the pressure of striving to end his club's wait for a title.

Some might have thought that the Brazilian's arrival would spell the end for his Norwegian counterpart at the Emirates, but both are proving at the World Cup that they can be a huge part of Arsenal's future as Mikel Arteta looks to build an era of domestic dominance.

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