Arsenal enjoyed a superb 2025/26 season, winning the Premier League for the first time in 22 years while also making it all the way to the UEFA Champions League final, where they put in a spirited performance only to suffer heart break on penalties.
Heading into the new campaign, expectations surrounding the team are sky-high, considering what they achieved last year. To give themselves the best chance of more success, the Gunners have made several important additions to the squad over the summer.
Piero Hincapie, who impressed while on loan from Bayer Leverkusen, was signed permanently, while the services goalkeeper Ilan Meslier and attacking midfielder Christos Tzolis were also secured. The most eye-catching addition to the squad, however, has been the signing of Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United.
After the £75 million move was completed, popular fan channel “Arsenal Fan TV” released a special video celebrating the signing.
Looking at several subtle cues in the video, it appears the clip may have originally been created for Vinicius Junior, Real Madrid’s superstar winger who was, up until recently, linked heavily with a blockbuster move to Arsenal.
Right at the start of the video, one of AFTV’s most popular members, Lee Judges, makes a brief cameo. By saying “it’s not happening”, he takes a subtle jab at fans who considered the transfer to be unlikely.
Those keeping an eye on most football fan forums and platforms, however, can probably attest to the fact that Guimaraes’ move to North London was considered quite a reasonable possibility by most supporters. The rumored signing of Vini Jr., however, was the one that was met with plenty of scepticism.
In addition to this, Cecil Jee Thomas, who stars in the video, is spotted doing various tricks and flicks with a Brazilian flag on his back. This is perhaps the biggest giveaway of the video being originally meant for Vini Jr., as outrageous dribbling ability combined with bags of flair is a trademark of the winger’s game.
While Bruno Guimaraes is also an extremely talented footballer in his own right, he is known more for the industry and hard work he brings to the midfield, rather than his ability to torment opposing defenders with stepovers, ball rolls and roulettes.
After the section where Thomas shows of his dribbling skills on the streets of London, he performs a few freestyle tricks in front of Emirates Stadium. Once again, this is something the average fan would associate with a tricky winger like Vini Jr., rather than a player of Bruno Guimaraes’ profile.
Though it is perhaps not the Brazilian superstar that most Arsenal fans wanted their club to sign most desperately, Guimaraes is still a considerable ceiling-raiser for the Gunners’ squad. Aged 29, he is right in the prime of his career, and the fact that he is Premier League-proven makes him perfect to slot right into Mikel Arteta’s plans.
