Lyon midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, who has been tracked by Arsenal and Juventus, is leaning towards a move to Newcastle.
Bruno has impressed in Ligue 1 over the past 18 months and it has led to him becoming part of Brazil’s senior squad.
The 24-year-old has been scouted by Arsenal for a number of years, ever since he played for Athletico Paranaense in Brazil, but Newcastle are now leading the race to sign him this month.
The Magpies have made an approach for Bruno, who is valued at over £30million, and there is confidence at the club that they can wrap up a deal.
Bruno is currently in Ecuador, focusing on Brazil’s game there on Thursday, and his future will be fully resolved after that fixture.
It remains to be seen whether Arsenal now firm up their interest after tracking and scouting the midfielder, but that seems unlikely at this stage.
The Gunners want to bolster their midfield options this month and have held talks with Juventus over a loan deal for Arthur Melo.
Bruno is on Arsenal’s shortlist of long-term midfield targets, but he is not their only option and the club expressed an interest in Wolves’ Ruben Neves last summer.
Earlier in the window it was unclear whether Bruno would leave Lyon during the middle of the season, with the player previously happy to wait and assess his options in the summer instead.
