TO BRU-GO OR NOT? Arsenal target Guimaraes facing same transfer dilemma this summer that Man Utd outcasts got wrong

For too many players, this summer presents a dangerous route down a path that could see their careers pass them by - if they haven't already.

There's some big names either without a club - or at clubs who aren't sold on having them as fixtures in the first-team next season. The solution, if they want to realise their potential or have a shot at getting back to their best, is to seek pastures new.

The somewhat uncomfortable reality of today is that if a player in demand, such as Arsenal target Bruno Guimaraes, wants a move, then, in all honesty, he can get it. See Alexander Isak as a case in point 12 months ago. Yes, you'll burn all your bridges with that club and their fanbase, but the likelihood is you'll get your way. Bruno Guimaraes faces that decision this summer - if he does believe that now is the right time to move to Arsenal, which is a question worth asking from a personal stand point.

Going down that forced exit avenue is far harder for a player who is homegrown or has an affiliation with that club, but they wouldn't be the first to do so. It's an option that remains open to those wanting to take greater control of their future - which some would certainly benefit from doing.

Two players unwanted by Manchester United last season - Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford - will be wondering what next season holds for them.

Rashford is back at Old Trafford after his loan spell at Barcelona, but a permanent move to Spain appears unlikely. Sancho was also farmed out on loan to Aston Villa, where he was only used sporadically, where his contract wound down. Now he's a free agent.

A player worth paying £72million for only five years ago has been effectively allowed to walk out of Manchester. Rashford was the top target for PSG a number of years ago, when he continued to be their nemesis in the Champions League, but he chose to extend his stay when crunch time came.

One remains at United - for now - and the other has been moved on. It serves to highlight how pivotal timing is in a player's career, as is their choice of destination. Such decisions can leave a player sinking or swimming.

United ploughed on impressively last season without Rashford and there's certainly been no 'he's back' statement from those making the decisions. It must leave a man who scored 30 goals only three years ago and is now two years shy of his 30th birthday wondering what went wrong.

His year at Barcelona showed that he still has the ability to perform in big games. Sancho's year at Villa Park didn't necessarily prove that, perhaps why he remains on the market. Its a crying shame for a player who once had Europe's elite eyeing him up. Just what might've happened had he taken the Phil Foden route and stuck out getting limited minutes at Manchester City before being let loose under Pep Guardiola.

Rashford's PSG interest came at a time when Thomas Tuchel was in charge. He's clearly still a fan having taken him to the World Cup with England, but there's no obvious door opening for him at club level.

Another Englishman in Kalvin Phillips is a man who chose the wrong club at the wrong time - and boy has he paid the price. A stalwart in England's midfielder, adored by Leeds fans. Yes he needed to step up one day, but whoever told him that moving to City, who play one holding midfielder by the name of Rodri, was a good idea must have questions to answer.

Loans to West Ham Ipswich and Sheffield United have done little to recapture the magic that had Phillips nicknamed the 'Yorkshire Pirlo', such was his ability to dictate games. He's another fishing around for a club this summer.

Conversely, eyeing up a gap in someone's squad or seeing a club on the up is ultimately a skill in of itself - and one that has worked out for some of the Premier League's top performers.

Declan Rice had his pick of England's elite when he was looking to make a move in 2023 and choosing Arsenal has made him a Premier League champion. The Gunners are favourites this year as they bid to defend their title.

Cole Palmer moved to Chelsea at a time when his route into the City team was firmly blocked off - and landing weekly football at Stamford Bridge helped him to become one of the best young players in England.

Yes those moves needed an element of luck to fall their way, but those breaks often fall to the players who are prepared to take the plunge, especially in the right environment.

The Premier League isn't short of players attracting attention this summer: Guimaraes, Alex Scott, Jack Grealish and Liam Delap - to name a few.

For Guimaraes, does he play every game in an Arsenal midfield that already includes Rice, Mikel Merino, Martin Zubimendi and Martin Odegaard. And are they really set up to win for multiple years. He may think yes to both.

Delap and Grealish have both made the step up to major outfits, but neither move has worked out, so what next?

Opting whether to stick or twist, and where to twist, can define careers. And in recent years, too many have been left questioning where the wrong turn came.