Fábio Vieira at a crossroads in his career | OneFootball

It is shaping up to be a busy summer for Arsenal Football Club. After a season that saw them fail to win a single trophy and finish as runners-up to Liverpool, the Gunners have made a hasty start to the summer transfer window, offloading Marquinhos, Nuno Tavares, Jorginho and Kieran Tierney, respectively to free up space in the wage bill and bring in a combined €8 million in transfer revenue.

In terms of incoming transfers, Mikel Arteta’s side are yet to finalize any deals, but according to multiple reports are on the cusp of completing a deal for Chelsea winger Noni Madueke. Also poised to sign are Brentford’s Christian Norgaard and Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi as replacements for Jorginho and Thomas Partey, who looks set to depart on a free transfer. Kepa Arrizabalaga, who replaced Neto and served as Bournemouth’s starting goalkeeper last season, looks set to replace Neto again following his loan return and compete with fellow Spaniard David Raya for the starting goalkeeper role.

Arsenal’s returning loanees Karl Hein, Reiss Nelson and Albert Sambi Lokonga will likely be moved on and sold for transfer fees, but one loanee whose future remains up in the air is Fábio Vieira. The Portuguese midfielder joined Arsenal in 2022 for €35 million plus €5 million in add-ons after a stellar season that saw him guide Porto to a domestic double and a then-league record 91 points.

Whilst there were some concerns about his ability to fit into the system, excitement was high amongst the Arsenal fanbase. Similarly to Fluminense’s Ganso, Vieira is a languid playmaker who thrives at popping into half-spaces, wriggling out of tight areas, and threading passes in between the lines. And at the time, he looked to be one of the best midfield prospects in Europe.

Chances limited by Ødegaard

However, Vieira never quite managed to demonstrate his potential in North London. Part of this was due to reasons outside his control. He was competing with Martin Ødegaard for the attacking midfield role, a player who had already emerged as one of the first names on the team sheet under Arteta. He was forced to content himself with brief cameos off the bench, unable to impact the game from the start, and when he did come on, he’d often look a bit slow or undersized against muscular Premier League defenders. Moreover, after an impressive start to the 2023/24 campaign, Vieira was sidelined for several months with an injury, during which time Arsenal continued to go from strength to strength. And according to The Athletic, Vieira struggled to impress in training sessions, causing his limited minutes to dwindle even further.

It’s why Arsenal allowed him to return to Porto on loan, where Vieira had played from 2008 to 2022. The Dragons went through a catastrophic season that saw them go through two different coaches and finish a distant third in the league table. Vieira had a mixed season in individual terms. Expected to become a vital cog in Porto’s midfield, Vieira scored 5 goals and provided 6 assists in 39 appearances before heading to the United States to compete in the FIFA Club World Cup. He showed flashes of the form in his initial spell at the Dragons that led to his big-money switch to London, but struggled for consistency and failed to become the difference-maker Porto fans were hoping for.

Disappointing Porto return

At the Club World Cup there was more disappointment for Porto, who were the only European side who were eliminated in the group phase. The Dragons kicked off their tournament with a 0-0 draw vs. Palmeiras, after which Vieira dodged questions about his future: “At this moment, I don’t think it’s ideal to speak about these topics. Right now, I’m representing FC Porto, and as such, I’m fully concentrated in this competition, my colleagues, and their performances… that’s what matters. The rest, we’ll see in the future.”

Porto would then relinquish an early advantage and lose 2-1 to Inter Miami, before playing out a 4-4 draw against Egyptian giants Al Ahly. As a result, whilst Inter Miami and Palmeiras advanced to the knockout round, Porto went home empty-handed. Vieira’s future, meanwhile, remains up in the air, with his loan to Porto ending and the Portuguese club not making any effort to renew it.

With his Arsenal contract set to expire in 2027, it’s probable that Arsenal wouldn’t sanction a loan unless they can renew his deal first. However, the more likely option is that Arsenal attempt to dispatch him on a permanent transfer. At 25, he finds himself approaching the peak of his career, and his £25,000-a-week wages aren’t particularly cumbersome either, meaning that Arsenal shouldn’t have too many issues finding a buyer. Even if his stock isn’t at its peak, Vieira’s creativity, vision, and passing precision should put him in good standing for a transfer to a team in Europe’s top five leagues. And with Arsenal reportedly eyeing a move for Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze, it’s clear that Arteta isn’t planning on Vieira as a squad member for next season.

Gyökeres in, Vieira out?

The bottom line is: even after tying down Zubimendi, Norgaard and Kepa to permanent deals, Arsenal need to spend heavily in attack. Their weaknesses in the final third have been there for everyone to see, and in order to close the gap on Liverpool and Manchester City and win their first Premier League title in 21 years, they need reinforcements in the final third. Rodrygo has been linked as a potential replacement for Raheem Sterling, who will return to Chelsea this summer, whilst Viktor Gyökeres is reportedly on the cusp of a transfer to the Emirates from Portuguese champions Sporting.

The Portuguese playmaker has been linked with a transfer to Serie A side Parma, who finished 16th in the Italian top-flight last season, and that may just be the perfect move for Vieira to get his career back on track. With Porto reportedly unwilling to extend his loan or advance with a permanent transfer, Parma have taken a keen interest according to Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport. The Crociati recently appointed Carlos Cuesta as their new coach – having previously spent the past five years as Arteta’s assistant at Arsenal – and with Cuesta already knowing Vieira’s game, it might just be the lifeline that Vieira has been looking for in order to get his career back on track after an underwhelming chapter in North London.

It’s another reason why, a mere three years after joining, Fabio Vieira’s Arsenal career seems to be coming to a premature end.