Arsenal issue Bruno Guimaraes ban just weeks after £75m transfer

Arsenal summer signing Bruno Guimaraes has revealed that he is banned by Mikel Arteta from doing one thing at his new club. The former Newcastle man, signed in a £75million deal, was a leading figure at St James' Park and entrusted with additional responsibilities as such.

One of those roles was being the club's designated set-piece taker. The Brazilian regularly took corners and free-kicks under Eddie Howe, but that won't be the case in north London. Arsenal led the Premier League in goals from set plays last season and Guimaraes is yet to be given the chance to help defend that accolade in 2026/27.

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"I'm still getting used to [Arsenal's set piece routines]," Guimaraes said on the Men In Blazers podcast. "There's a lot [to learn]. We're training a lot, almost every day for set pieces."

Asked whether Arteta was letting him take corners yet, the 28-year-old replied with a smile: "Not yet, not yet."

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Guimaraes has cemented his reputation as one of the league's most threatening set-piece deliverers. He even netted directly from a corner in Newcastle's 2-1 victory over Burnley last season.

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Yet Arsenal's approach to set pieces is an entirely different matter.

In recent campaigns, the Gunners have crafted an elaborate repertoire of precisely choreographed corner and free-kick routines that have propelled them to become one of the most formidable set-piece teams in world football.

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They netted 25 league goals from set pieces, excluding penalties, last season. Furthermore, 10 of Declan Rice's 20 Premier League assists for Arsenal have come from corners or free kicks.

For Guimaraes, therefore, there is evidently much to absorb before he is entrusted with Arsenal's set-piece responsibilities.

The Brazil international made his Arsenal debut in the Community Shield, playing his part as the Gunners defeated Manchester City 3-0 to claim the trophy in the traditional pre-season showpiece.

But he was left out of the squad for Friday's 3-0 Premier League victory over Coventry City.

Arteta revealed ahead of the match that Guimaraes had sustained a minor training injury and he was unwilling to take any chances. "He had a slight tension in his groin, he hasn't done a pre-season," the Spanish boss said.

"He had only four or five days before that game [Community Shield]. It is a lot of new stuff for him as well, and we need to take it bit-by-bit."

Since his £75m signing at the beginning of August, Arsenal supporters have been eagerly anticipating the prospect of Guimaraes combining with Rice in midfield. The Brazilian, it appears, is equally enthused, having experienced his share of encounters with the England international during their time as Premier League rivals.

"Rice has a little bit of everything, he's so good with the ball but he defends like a lion... his presence in the midfield is unbelievable," Guimaraes said. "It was very difficult playing against him and now I can finally play with him. I hope we can be very successful together."

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