David Ornstein reports that Fabio Vieira is set to return to Porto on loan, the club from which he joined Arsenal in 2022.
The 24 year old has struggled to establish himself in North London since making that switch, and barely featured last season – seeing just 292 minutes of Premier League action.
Some of that was down to injury, he suffered a knee problem which required minor surgery, but once he returned to fitness, he wasn’t trusted by Mikel Arteta as we battled with Man City for the title.
In pre-season he played exclusively on the right wing, while 17 year old Ethan Nwaneri was given minutes in the central areas Vieira might have expected to feature in.
With the imminent arrival of Mikel Merino, his chances would be further limited, although his departure does leave us short an option on that right hand side, particularly if Reiss Nelson leaves in order to find regular football.
Perhaps a return to his home club will rekindle Vieira’s career, and we wish him luck for the new season. If things go well, maybe we can recoup some of the €30m we spent on him just two summers ago.
Maybe playing time is what he needs to find consistency, he really has something different in him, we’ve seen it even if for short periods of time…
His output has been fantastic given the amount of game time he’s had. But I’m yet to see him play well for an entire match. It’s all come in fits and starts.
Mikel really loves this player though. And he’s a stubborn man. I’m not sure Fabio’s Arsenal adventure is over yet…
Agree, not even sure what’s controversial here. He’s had some exciting cameos off the bench but has never once played well when he started other than maybe against lowly opposition, and even that I’m not sure. And I say that as someone who really likes him. He’s shown he can deliver a killer pass on a fast break, or even hit a rocket into the top corner on one of his best days, but not that he can consistently do any of the other things an Arsenal midfielder is expected to do. Really hope for him he can show that… Read more »
And I think if you look at the player who plays in his position – a certain Martin Odegaard – you can see where he’s not quite there.
Odegaard, as well as being an absolute magician with the ball, is excellent off it too, busting a gut and his balls to close down every ball.
Vieira just lacks that intensity right now. But hopefully it will come…
Maybe not fair to compare him to God-egaard who’s basically the perfect midfielder. But thinking about it he’s kind of the anti-Kai Havertz, especially thinking about early last season’s Kai Havertz. The guy had no end product but he was consistently hustling, closing out, winning duels, making runs to attract defenders, being physical with the opposition and kind of a pain in their bums. He basically did everything else other than score or assist and that’s what kept him in the team through that barren period. Vieira at his current form delivers some end product but virtually none of those… Read more »
Much of that down to the physical stature
Then why have so many players his size done so much better than he has so far? If physical stature is all it comes down to do you really think Arteta, Edu and their whole staff would’ve decided to spend 30mil on him? People who have been around the game their whole lives and think about it every day from dawn till dusk but it’s all for nought because they just missed that crucial detail, they just couldn’t see like you did that he’s too small. iI they’d only listened to you and Jack over at the pub who coulda… Read more »
Ouch
Spot on. Way too lightweight.
Wonderful take here
I believe his goose is cooked.
He should take it out of the oven then before it burns
Always feel like he’s too lightweight for the prem.
Yeah, I tend to agree, he’s been in England long enough to adapt to the physicality of the league, to me it’s a case of back to Porto and into the shop window.
The shop window that is being rained on heavily as Martinelli states mournfully out, listening to “all by myself”?
Have a feeling he’s a player who might get there in his late 20’s,
but sadly he’s not there now.
I’m not a fan, he seems to have a big disconnect between his own perception of his role in the team, even within games, and reality. He’s bundled off the ball every time, he still hasn’t gotten up to PL speed. He dwells on the ball when he has no business doing it. He dives a lot. A handful of decent passes and a handful of decent strikes do not equal a first team player. I’m sorry Gabi will lose his pal but he was never long for the PL.
The truth is every team is bound to sign a dud every now and then…Kalvin Phillips being a case in point… there’s been willian,Pablo mari,lokonga….. hopefully we’re improving in that department…..
Makes sense. He needs to be playing regularly and whatever minutes he was going to get, I’d prefer to see them going to Nwaneri. Cesc, JW and Bukayo were ready at 17 and it looks like Ethan is of a similar mould. If true good luck to Fabio. I hope he does well and comes back full of confidence.
Fabio was supposed to be our Bernardo Silva. Hasn’t quite worked out that way.
On the plus side, this could point to either the planned greater integration of Nwaneri and MLS into the first team or an imminent signing or maybe even both. Both positive developments.
Surely this means we have a plan to reinforce the right-hand side. It’s clear Reiss isn’t trusted there to start (1 start since Lockdown) – Jesus can play there, sure, but then we lack someone who can play centrally. This solidifies the feeling we are a player short in that area – hope to see some developments for a central/right-sided forward.
Or Arteta is satisfied that Nwaneri is ready if required.
#internalsolutions
Not Nwaneri on the right though, surely? Vieira was cover in 2 positions (Odegaard and Saka, albeit light cover) – While I love the idea of Nwaneri taking his place behind (next to) Ode, what about Saka? Jesus becomes the only viable cover to start in place of Saka, but he’s also the only cover to start in place of Havertz. Just worry about Saka starting every PL and CL match this season, and even more if we get to the meaningful rounds of the cups.
We are definitely getting someone, we are down on numbers since last season even if you don’t rate them. I think Arsenal will spend the week trying to persuade nico Williams.
If Nico gets over the line – that is Ozil-esque level excitement – and a coup of coups, would absolutely love that
The money is the easy part. Getting Nico to agree is the hard part. Miguel Delaney is reporting we are considering making a push this week but are aware he prefers to stay in Spain. It’s all set up for a rollercoaster week with us ending up with Sterling on loan. I’m optimistic Arsenal have something up their sleeve
We definitely aren’t getting Nico Williams. It’s not happening. Not in a million Sundays
All valid points above. Maybe, a cheeky loan for someone like Raphinia would be ideal. Even Sterling for one year loan. Then go back for Nico Williams next summer after he has fulfilled his personal commitment/childhood dream to play European football with his home club.
Someone else HAS to be coming in.
Surely this means we are going to sign someone else now? Saka, as wonderful as he is, shouldn’t play 68 matches
Spot on. Been a confusing summer so far. To think we could have got Olise to cover the entire right side, for €10m more than Calafiori, who it is debatable if we even needed.
Now we look overstocked in defence and threadbare at best in the front five. I agree, right now the plan must be for Saka Odegaard and Havertz to play over 60 games each.
4 from Havertz, Trossard, Jesus, Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli is hardly threadbare.
But one more strong player in that catapults the team forward.
So that’s no natural replacement for Saka or Odegaard. And with any injuries to that group we’d be left with nothing on the bench either. I’d call that sailing pretty close to the wind if I were you.
There are no natural replacements for Saka and Odegaard any more than there would be for KdB and Haaland.
Can’t wait to see you on here complaining about our lack of attacking depth.
We were short last season. Did you just forget Porto, Newcastle, Villa, Bayern? We were totally toothless.
We have since lost 3 players in ESR, Nketiah and Vieira who could at least find the net. If anything we have got weaker up there and will now have to run our stars into the ground. You think that is ok?
Nope, and neither do the club. I just think when you are without players like those two you have to make it work in other ways rather than trying to find guys who do lesser versions of what they do.
I do agree that we are one player short, and we lack that unstoppable/inevitable/goal from nothing guy after Saka. So in the end I think my post was a reaction to the way you spoke about that rather than the substance of what you said.
Fair enough, a big week ahead. We are one, if not two players light up there imo. Let’s hope they’ve got a plan.
I’m hearing a winger is 100% happening.
Team Podiatrist Dr. Gooner? Inside information, I like it!
Just a sicko with a bunch of twitters
Do you happen to know Edu or Mikel’s Barber? They always have the good info
I’ll be amazed if it’s not raphinha
Shout
I hope not
Why?
I’ve never rated his footballing ability
Top players play every 3 days and to a high level.
#Mikelisruthless
Not a Fábio Vieira fan but we are culling our squad within an inch of its life yet again. 6 midfielders including Nwaneri? Need another forward AND midfielder now.
Thank god we have 5 left backs
That’s the plan.
Depth chart is Rice, Merino, Odegaard, Jorginho, Havertz, TP5, Nwaneri… not too shabby. That’s 7 guys for 3 roles. Zinchenko is also a natural in midfield while Timber and Calafiori have the chops to play there for a few games if necessary. I don’t see an issue wtih quantity or quality.
what’s wrong with me that I really so want to see a midfield of Rice, Odegaard and Timber? or Zinchenko too. Or even rest Rice for a game and have Zinchenko at DM and Trossard and Odegaard alongside him as the 8’s, and if Tross has his semi usual platinum dye it shall be an all-blonde midfield! The first of its kind outside of Scandinavia? They could even start a boy band together and call it N-ZINK
Havertz is an occasional midfielder only nominally. Cannot play the 8 role to a sufficient standard and we deplete our thin forward line if we instate him there.
Said this on the Facebook page, but if we can get Sterling on loan (no obligation to buy and 50% of his wages) AND Arteta can trust him to do a job on the right, I’m for it.
We’ve not really been linked to wingers and if we could get any money for Reiss, we should as he’s going to be less and less of a hot property. Sterling is streets ahead of both Reiss and Fabio, and would basically be free for a year, under the right circumstances.
No Sterling. Disruptive presence that we don’t need.
In what way disruptive? Genuinely curious as I don’t know much about him off the pitch.
He’s never done anything worthy of mention. Just a stick to beat him with.
The only “disruptive” thing he’s done is this Chelsea malarkey, which – I can’t really blame him for.
He’s a player Arteta knows, got the best out of and trusts.
Why do you think he’s been at so many clubs in ten years? Did you see the statement he released over the weekend? No thanks.
That’s what you’re going with?
He went from Liverpool to a club that delivered trophies and was deemed surplus to requirements there and went to Chelsea. Havertz has been at more clubs than Sterling in the past 10 years 😂 Is he disruptive?
We have absolutely 0 idea as to how he has been treated and it seems pretty harsh to call him disruptive based on that.
If you don’t want him, fine, but making up something nonsensical seems very bizarre.
Based on what? His situation at Chelsea? Can you blame him for what he’s come out and said?
If it’s a choice between him, Viera and Nelson – sorry I know who I’m picking every day of the week. Viera isn’t even an option now and Nelson is nowhere near the level of quality we need. Sterling has seen it and done it at the highest level. It’s a low risk option.
I’m for it under the terms you cited, just doubt Chelsea are going to do that for us. For Villa they would.
Chelsea have done far stranger things 😂 At this point, it would surprise nobody.
It would be a big middle finger to City to just give us a player like that for a season. Barca just gave them back Gundogan though so it would be fairs in the grand scheme.
Coached by Arteta at City. Massive experience at the highest level in the Prem. A proven goal scorer. Has something to prove…. By far the best attacking option available as wide cover…if we can get him on loan.
I thought this as soon as he became available. If his heads in the right place, he’d be perfect for a season. He can play across the front 3 and knows how to play in Arteta’s system. He’s settled in London and I think he’d be motivated as hell to prove Chelsea wrong. In a bad season, he scored 9 goals incl goals against ManC and a fair few assists. If Sterling is your Saka cover, we’re doing alright.
He came from Portugal. He goes back to Portugal… vieira.
Perhaps using this as a part of getting Gyökeres? I would not complain.
Not so sure strengthening Sporting’s rivals will make them more open to selling….
I feel like Sporting Lisbon would feel a bit short changed by that deal…
In the words of Frank Drebin: “I realised that…now.” 👍
Yes, my mistake. I messed up the different Portugese sides.
(I just really want us to get Gyökeres… 😇)
Edu and Arteta are aware they have to be more patient and considered in the market, given the pool of players that can take Arsenal to the next level is much smaller now than it was at the start of the process, or even last summer. Their standards, expectations and qualities are in a different zone.
I think Vieira is too small for the PL. Hopefully he can find some form and we sell in the summer.
Martinelli is going to be sad, lost his best buddy for the season.
Being completely honest, if Gabi doesn’t perform this season he may not be far behind… 🤷🏻
True that
Maybe they can send young Conceicao the other way.
Why can we not admit that Fabio was a bad buy.
Some of us can. A year on loan is the only way we have a chance of getting a fee for him next summer. Porto will probably be kind enough to give us 7 or 8 million euros for him.
No way! He’s 24 and scores/makes goals in volume, on a reasonable salary too. He’s not going for less than 30.
He’ll be 25 next year with a year left on his contract. 7 or 8 million might look like a good deal by then.
2 years left. Contracted until 2027.
5 year contract?, it’s the sort of transfer we’ve been laughing at Chelsea for making.
He’s been a dreadful signing. Pains me to think ESR was sold and we’re left wondering how to make this guy fit in. Sooner we can get rid the better.
So surely a wide player is coming in?
Why is Johan Bakayoko’s name not in the conversation as. competition for Saka
His signing has always been underwhelming due to his lack of productivity on the pitch. Here’s wishing Him all the best.
I don’t really see how Merino arriving has anything to do with Vieira’s game time. Vieira plays further forward.
Given Smith-Rowe has also left we suddenly look very light in that area.
To me this either means the path is being cleared for Ethan Nwaneri or something is about to happen on the incoming transfer front in the attacking midfield/wing positions.
It’s a shame if that spells the end of his Arsenal career. He’s all end product. As a lot have pointed out he’s always looked lightweight though. Kind of in the mould of Dani Ceballos or Denis Suarez.
Yup – good comparison to those 2.
My take is that we’re not bringing a forward signing in this window. Reiss is the backup. Trusted by Arteta it not, he is our wide option, aside from Jesus and Trossard. All the reliance will be on Saka and Martinelli. Fuck, I hope I’m wrong.
Would love to see us move for eze and throw in Eddie as part of the deal who they have been interested in for a while.
Good news for Nwaneri (unless he goes out on loan), but will likely only see time starting off in league cup games and in games when we have a comfortable lead late. Hope that more playing time will help Viera to the point he can come back and contribute with us or increase the amount we can sell him for. It looks like we will have paid more him a couple of years ago than we did for a full Spanish international in Merino (of course age played a lot into it).