Bruno Guimaraes said a thank you to the Newcastle United supporters "will never be enough" after completing his long-awaited move to Arsenal on Saturday. 

Following a summer of uncertainty over his future at St. James' Park, Guimaraes' £75m move to the Premier League champions has finally been confirmed. 

Guimaraes joined Newcastle from Lyon in 2022 and went on to make 195 appearances for the Magpies across all competitions, scoring 31 goals as well as providing 31 assists.

The 28-year-old also captained Eddie Howe's side to their first domestic trophy in the EFL Cup in 2025-26, with Newcastle beating Liverpool 2-1 at Wembley Stadium. 

And after his move was announced, Guimaraes took the time to thank the Newcastle fans, saying his decision to leave the club was "very tough". 

"When I arrived, the club was in a challenging position, and I am incredibly proud of what we achieved together," Guimaraes said in a statement. "I fell in love with this place.

"I really mean that. From my first day, the supporters, my team-mates, Eddie [Howe] and the staff, and everyone connected with the club made me and my family feel at home. 

"I also want to say thank you to David [Hopkinson, CEO] and Ross [Wilson, sporting director] for the huge respect to me throughout this process.

"They did everything they could to keep me at Newcastle, and I am very grateful for our time together. 

"This move is very tough because Newcastle means so much to me, but I wanted to experience something new. I feel ready for a new challenge for myself and my family. 

"I had a very positive conversation with Matthias Jaissle, and I leave knowing the club is in very good hands. 

"To the supporters, thank you will never be enough, but I say it with all my heart. I will always be proud to have been part of this club's journey. Thank you for everything." 

Guimaraes is another influential figure to leave Newcastle this summer, with Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali completing their respective moves to Barcelona and Tottenham.

Howe has also left his position following a five-year stint at St. James' Park, with the club moving quickly to appoint Matthias Jaissle as his successor.

Since making his debut in the Premier League in February 2022, Guimaraes has won more duels (1,030) and fouls (410) than any other player in the top-flight.

Only new midfield partner Declan Rice (1,703km) has covered more distance than the Brazilian (1,641) in the competition during that time. 

In addition, only Mohamed Salah (94.5%) and Dejan Kulusevski (94.6%) have created a higher share of their chances from open play in the Premier League than Guimaraes' 92.5% among players with a minimum of 200 chances created in the competition since his debut. 

Coincidentally, Guimaraes has covered more distance (98.6 km), won more duels (71) and committed more fouls (17) against Arsenal than he has against any other side since his Premier League debut, but has already been welcomed by his new team with open arms. 

When asked about Arsenal's midfield, Guimaraes added: "Very good, very good. 

"[Declan] Rice sent me a message: 'Come here and please, no more fights, now we're friends.' 

"I was happy he messaged me, but the midfield we have here, in my point of view, is one of the best in Europe. 

"Everyone is an amazing player. I'm so excited to start chatting and play, and know the players very, very well, but we have an amazing midfield."

Guimaraes could make his competitive debut for the Gunners in the Community Shield against Manchester City on August 16, with Arsenal getting their Premier League title defence up and running five days later at home to newly promoted Coventry City.