Arsenal loanee hailed as one of football’s most intelligent playmakers | OneFootball

Fábio Vieira is thriving in his return to FC Porto, with the Arsenal loanee demonstrating the quality that once made him one of Portugal’s most exciting young talents and prompted Arsenal to spend €35m on him.

After a difficult spell in North London, his resurgence has drawn praise from former Porto assistant coach José Gomes, who hailed his intelligence, technical ability, and decisive impact in the final third.

Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images

Sincethe turn of the year, Vieira has been in outstanding form, scoring in three consecutive matches and contributing vital assists in both domestic and European competition. His performances have reignited memories of his breakthrough 2021/22 season, when he registered seven goals and 16 assists, numbers that secured his move to Arsenal.

For José Gomes, now managing Al Fateh in Saudi Arabia, Vieira‘s rise was inevitable. Having faced him in his Porto senior debut as Marítimo‘s head coach in June 2020, Gomes immediately recognised his talent.

“We conceded a goal early on [scored by Jesús Corona] and then tried to at least get a draw during the game,” he said. “Fábio coming on allowed Porto to control possession even more, because he is an intelligent player who understands the game and its moments. Even at that young age, he already showed that awareness.”

Photo via Porto on Twitter

His intelligence remains his greatest asset. While some midfielders rely on sheer physicality, Vieira operates with an advanced footballing brain, effortlessly reading the game. Gomes underlined this, calling him a player with innate vision and an ability to anticipate movement.

“He was born for football,” he said. “He has vision, quick thinking in reading his teammates’ and opponents’ movements, and then there’s his fabulous left foot. He can solve problems with his quality. That’s what intelligent and technically gifted players like him do.”

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Under manager Martín Anselmi, Vieira has been deployed both in midfield and further forward, benefitting from a system that maximises his technical ability. His ability to find space, dictate tempo, and execute precise final passes has been key to Porto’s attacking play.

While there is no purchase option in his loan deal, his resurgence raises the inevitable question – will Arsenal reintegrate him next season, or will Porto push for a permanent transfer?