- Fabio Vieira on course to leave Arsenal on loan
- Fringe midfielder set to return to former club Porto
- Increased competition expected from Mikel Merino
Arsenal are reported to have agreed a deal with Porto to loan Fabio Vieira back to the Primeira Liga side, two years after arriving in north London.
Vieira has largely been a fringe player at Arsenal, spending much of last season on the bench, both before and after a groin injury ruled him out for a couple of months.
Playing time could be further limited by the impending arrival of Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad and the continued emergence of Ethan Nwaneri from the academy. The Athletic writes that Vieira will return to former club Porto on loan and will not be part of the squad that travels to the midlands to face Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday evening as details are finalised.
Vieira made his name with Porto and had only recently turned 22 years of age when Arsenal agreed a package to sign him worth up to £34.3m. At that time, the midfielder had only played 76 senior games in his career, but the Gunners saw the potential on offer.
That hasn't translated into becoming a regular player in an Arsenal shirt. Vieira made as many as 33 appearances across all competitions during his first season in 2022/23. But there were just 14 starts and eight of those came in the Europa League alone.
As recently as February, Arteta appeared optimistic that Vieira would be able to turn things around and properly cement himself at the Emirates Stadium.
"I'm really happy with him but sad at the same time because it's been a tough period for him, especially with the last injury, because he had some momentum and had put some performances together before he got injured," said the manager at that time.
"That broke up his rhythm again like last season [2022/23], but he is an enormous talent and we're going to get the best out of him."
Vieira has a contract with Arsenal until 2027, so heading out on loan doesn't mean it's over for him.
