Ranking the Big Six midfields after Bruno Guimaraes Arsenal move

Bruno Guimaraes’ move to north London has made one of the Premier League’s best midfields even better, but how do the Big Six rank?

The least stirring transfer saga of the summer came to a close on Saturday as Arsenal confirmed they had purchased Guimaraes from Newcastle for a fee of £75m, capping off a terrible summer for those in the north east.

For Arsenal though, they have one of the league’s best players on their hands, but which of the Big Six has the best midfield unit? Here’s our ranking:

6) Liverpool

There are far too many question marks to rank Liverpool’s midfield any higher.

Firstly, can Andoni Iraola find a way to get the best out of Florian Wirtz? Unlocking that piece of the puzzle could get Liverpool ticking again but there was no obvious solution last season.

Secondly, can the players raise their game again? Alexis Mac Allister’s level dropped; Ryan Gravenberch was not as effective as he was in Liverpool’s title-winning season. Dominik Szoboszlai was Liverpool’s player of the season but was shifted around all over the pitch to plug gaps. Then you have the likes of Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott on the periphery.

It feels like a midfield that is in need of some standard-raising arrivals.

5) Manchester United

Whilst they are not in the same bracket as Guimarães or Elliot Anderson, United have made some reasonable midfield recruits in the form of Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans.

Both look like good pieces of business with the former only 22 and the latter being a Premier League-ready player who impressed for Villa. He should also help with the attacking output, something that seemed to fall squarely on Bruno Fernandes’ shoulders last season.

The Portuguese playmaker will likely lead the team again, both with the armband and how he performs on the pitch. A record 21 assists seems a trick he is unlikely to repeat but he is central to everything United do well.

The departure of Casemiro looks like it came at the right time, judging by his World Cup performances. Kobbie Mainoo is likely to take over the Brazilian’s defensive duties but his goals from set-pieces will be missed. Santos will likely challenge Mainoo for a starting spot with Manuel Ugarte pushed to the periphery.

Meanwhile. Mason Mount has featured regularly in pre-season so could make more of an impact.

Overall, United’s midfield is a collection of good players featuring one world-class star.

4) Chelsea

With Enzo Fernandez’s love affair with Real Madrid proving to be unrequited, he will likely stay in west London as part of what is a very strong midfield.

Moises Caicedo is one of the best midfielders in the league while Romeo Lavia played 90 minutes for the first time for Chelsea in pre-season.

Attacking-wise, Chelsea pulled off a coup in taking Morgan Rogers away from their London rivals, even if they did pay over the odds, and whether he plays centrally or from the left, he will be one of Chelsea’s main attacking threats in the coming season.

There is also the Cole Palmer question. It’s been too long for this to be considered a minor blip in form but maybe a full summer off, a World Cup snub and a new manager can get the best out of him.

3) Tottenham Hotspur

£185m has taken Spurs from the bottom of this list to almost the summit.

Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes will immediately be first-choice pairing while James Maddison is back from injury and looks likely to provide the bulk of the creativity.

Behind them, Conor Gallagher picked up under Roberto De Zerbi, and Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Sarr are options. Lucas Bergvall apparently wants away but it remains to be seen whether Spurs will green light any move for the highly rated 20-year-old.

2) Manchester City

A strong midfield was central to everything Guardiola did and he left his successor with plenty to work with.

Rodri may depart for Barcelona but the club spent big money to bring in Elliot Anderson who, while being a more box-to-box player, can plug any defensive gaps left by the Spaniard’s potential departure.

The creativity will come from Rayan Cherki, who is becoming too good to be stuck on the benc,h and Phil Foden has been featuring increasingly in pre-season in the number 10 spot, perhaps hinting at a return to form after a summer off.

Behind the first choices, Mateo Kovacic and Nico Gonzalez are solid options. The club also has Kalvin Phillips, Jack Grealish and Tijjani Reijnders on the books. For now.

1) Arsenal

Even before they signed Bruno Guimaraes, Arsenal arguably had the strongest midfield in the league and the Brazilian’s arrival confirms it.

Guimaraes will likely slot in next to Declan Rice or even provide some cover for the overworked England player. As a pair, it is hard to argue any other team comes close.

Guimaraes’ arrival does suggest Martin Zubimendi will be sidelined. Having started strongly in his debut season, the Spaniard faded in the second half and has even been linked with a move to Chelsea.

Club captain Martin Odegaard may also find himself playing less and less if Mikel Arteta opts to put Eberechi Eze in the hole. Arsenal also have a host of back-up options who could contribute to any hopes of a quadruple. Mikel Merino and the versatile Myles Lewis-Skelly are handy options to have.

Are Arsenal lacking a truly top level No. 10? Perhaps. But when your deeper midfielders can contribute so much going forward, it does not really matter.