Bruno Guimarães has labelled Arsenal teammate Declan Rice a "machine" and said he has been learning a lot by playing alongside him.
The Brazil international joined Arsenal in the summer from Newcastle for £75 million ($101 million) and has made an impressive start to his career in north London. He has made 14 appearances in all competitions and scored two crucial goals in the Premier League against Sunderland and Leeds United.
Guimarães has already shown signs of striking a good parternship with Rice in the middle of the park, and said their relationship extends beyond the field.
"Look, I think that ever since he announced I was coming here, everything was practically set. He sent me a message right away saying: 'We've had a lot of fights in the past, but now we're friends -- we're going to play together. I'm really happy you're coming here. You're going to really raise the level of our team,'" he told ESPN Brazil.
"So he was a guy who had already won me over even before I arrived. We know -- I'd say he's a complete player; he's a machine on the field. He can run, I don't know, 22 kilometers in a game without stopping for a second. I was really happy.
"I'm learning from him -- learning a lot from him -- since he's a very technical player. So, I think we have one of the best midfields in Europe here, yes -- given the number of players we have -- and anyway, I think Declan is a guy who's been helping me a lot; I felt right at home."
Guimarães joined Arsenal after five years at Newcastle, where he was the captain and beloved by the fanbase. He led the club to the 2025 Carabao Cup, their first domestic trophy in 70 years, and wrote himself into Newcastle's history books.
So, leaving St. James' Park was "a very difficult decision" for him this summer.
"I think I was one of the most beloved players during my time there, so it was a difficult decision, but in my mind, deep down, I felt I needed a new challenge. After almost five years at Newcastle, I think I'm driven by challenges and wanted a new one," he said.
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"But, to be completely honest, it wasn't an easy decision. I had to think long and hard about it at the time. It was very difficult, too. Right after the World Cup, which was a very turbulent time -- so it was difficult for me in many ways. But in the end, I chose to make the move. I'm happy here; I'm starting my journey here as well.
"I think I'm increasingly understanding Arteta's approach -- which is completely different from what I was used to doing at Newcastle -- and I'm adapting more and more, getting to know the new players better. As I said, it's not easy to switch clubs after nearly five years, when you were already completely used to the routine, to everything. But I think this is a huge challenge, and I'm ready for it."
Information from ESPN Brazil's Artur Rocha, Mario Marra and Renato Senise contributed to this report.