Arsenal fans have long dreamed of having a “Vieira” patrolling their midfield again and will finally get their wish, with Porto’s Fabio Vieira set to become Mikel Arteta’s first major signing of the summer.
The 22-year-old, who is expected to cost €40m (£34.2m) and sign a five-year deal, is not quite the all-action successor to namesake Patrick, but instead a nimble and versatile playmaker who will add quality and depth to Arteta’s squad at the top end of the pitch.
Vieira has spent his entire career – and the bulk of his life – playing in Porto’s iconic blue and white stripes, and enjoyed a breakthrough 12 months after starring for Portugal during last summer’s U21 European Championship in Hungary, where they finished as runners-up.
Vieira was named Player of the Tournament and he carried that form into the following season, scoring six goals and registering 14 assists in 27 appearances as Sergio Conceicao’s side romped to the Primeira Liga title. Vieira, who was in and out of the starting line-up but more consistently involved after Luis Diaz’s sale to Liverpool in January, averaged a goal or assist every 66 minutes.
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According to Whoscored, Vieira predominantly played as a No 10 but was also used as a centre forward and on either flank and while naturally left-footed, he has developed a knack for assisting and scoring via his weaker right foot.
An assist against Liverpool during last season’s Champions League group stage offers a good illustration of Vieira’s skill-set; after receiving the ball on the edge of the area, Vieira dribbled neatly into space with his left foot before floating a cross into the box for Medhi Taremi to score with his right. Only Liverpool’s £85m recruit Darwin Nunez outscored Taremi in the Primeira Liga last season and five of his 20 strikes were assisted by Vieira; a stat that bodes well for Arsenal’s new No 9.
Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus continues to be strongly linked with a move to the Emirates, while Eddie Nketiah is expected to sign a new deal following Alexandre Lacazette’s return to Lyon.
As a left-footed No 10, Vieira will compete alongside Martin Odegaard, although he is more similar in terms of build and style to former Manchester City star David Silva. Vieira’s highlight reel from his time at Porto is packed full of elegant gliding runs and precise angled passes into the penalty area.
That Arsenal have prioritised the signing of a gifted young attacking midfielder at the start of the transfer window is perhaps a surprise given they are already flush with them. It is the strongest area of their squad, with Bukayo Saka, Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli and Emile Smith Rowe competing for three positions and Nicolas Pepe providing rather expensive backup until he’s moved on.
Arsenal’s problem was not so much creating chances but scoring them. Odegaard and Saka ranked second and seventh respectively for chances created in the Premier League last season, but Arsenal managed the sixth-best goal tally. The move has the hallmarks of the Arsene Wenger era when the squad was teeming with twinkle-toed technicians.
Nevertheless, Vieira’s adaptability and ability to use both feet should serve Arteta well given a lack of squad depth was a key factor behind Arsenal’s campaign derailing during the run-in. Although a playmaker features some way down the list of Arsenal’s priorities – behind a striker, central midfielder, and backup full-backs on either flank – it is an exciting acquisition given Vieira’s development last season.
Arsenal fans will be hoping that his imminent arrival will be the first of many as the club prepares for another top-four push in 2022-23.
Analysis: Where do Arsenal need to strengthen next?
By Daniel Storey, i‘s chief football writer
Arsenal spent more than £150m on new players last summer, but the squad still felt worryingly thin towards the end of last season and that issue will only increase with the arrival of European football in 2022-23. Mikel Arteta would like a group of 22 outfielders and three goalkeepers and they are currently some way short of that.
A new striker is the obvious priority after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joined Barcelona on a free transfer and Alexandre Lacazette left the Emirates following the expiration of his contract. Neither were starters at the end of their time at Arsenal, but a combination of Gabriel Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah – who is likely to extend his own contract – simply isn’t enough to fuel ambitions at home and in Europe. They have signed Brazilian Marquinhos for £3m, but at that price and age he is clearly one for the future.
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But there are gaps across this squad. Arsenal probably need another central midfielder to avoid Martin Odegaard having to play deeper if one of Thomas Partey or Granit Xhaka are unavailable, particularly after the permanent sale of Matteo Guendouzi to Marseille (confirmed in March).
If Takehiro Tamiyasu is only a back-up option then they need a first-choice right-back. Kieran Tierney’s injury issues may mean a left-back is also required. And if William Saliba is to be sold, Arteta will need a central defender too. It is an awful lot of work for one shortened summer.
Read Daniel’s full analysis here
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