Waddle warns £75m Arsenal signing he'll 'do well' to keep his shirt

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Bruno Guimaraes has been warned that he faces a battle to hold down a regular starting spot at Arsenal, with Chris Waddle claiming the Brazilian will "do well" to keep his place in Mikel Arteta's midfield.

Guimaraes completed a £75m move from Newcastle United in the summer, signing a four-year contract at the Emirates. The 28-year-old spent four years at St James' Park, where he helped the Magpies qualify for the Champions League and win the Carabao Cup.

Arteta described his new signing as a "warrior" on arrival and backed him to take Arsenal to "the next level". So far, though, the Brazil international has started just one of the club's first five Premier League fixtures.

Waddle: 'He's not guaranteed a starting spot'

That solitary league start came immediately before the international break, and it ended early — Guimaraes was withdrawn with Arsenal already 3-0 down in their defeat to Brighton.

Speaking to Betpack, former Newcastle and England winger Waddle questioned whether the midfielder can nail down a place in a squad of this quality.

"I think Bruno Guimaraes will do well to keep his shirt in the team," Waddle said. "Arsenal have a very high level. He's a good player. Obviously we know how he plays, he carries the ball, brings good energy, and gets around the park. But at Newcastle he was the main man in a way, and he had a lot of confidence and belief."

"He's not guaranteed a starting spot at Arsenal, so that'll be a little bit difficult for him to accept. I'm sure if he gets in and plays the way he can, he'll keep his place."

Waddle also questioned the logic of the deal itself: "But I thought it was a surprising move for Arsenal to bring him in. I think he's a good player, but I wouldn't put him up there as a must buy."

"To be the first name picked in midfield alongside Declan Rice and in there with Martin Odegaard, he's going to have to play exceptionally well."

Arteta demands a response

The Premier League champions and Champions League runners-up had won their opening seven games of the season before the reverse at Brighton, a result that clearly stung the Arsenal manager.

"First of all congratulations to Brighton. But I am really disappointed," Arteta said afterwards. "In the first 20 or 30 minutes, the number of technical errors put us constantly under pressure. It was all related to the start."

"It's a big lesson to learn. What the team has done since the World Cup has been remarkable. But today there is a lot to learn. Credit to Brighton for what they have done. I think we were very far from our level."

He added: "The international break means we have more time to swallow because it's very, very painful. In any game you can get highly exposed if you don't do what you need to do."

Arsenal return to action against Leeds United, and with Rice and Odegaard established in Arteta's midfield, Guimaraes' minutes over the coming weeks will offer the clearest indication yet of where he fits into the picture.