Mikel Arteta given £35m incentive to complete Nico Williams Arsenal deal amid transfer gamble
Fabio Vieira has failed to significantly impress in the right wing role during Arsenal’s pre-season campaign so far
It feels like make or break time for Fabio Vieira. The Portuguese midfielder is now in his third season at Arsenal, but is yet to really make his mark.
There have been brief flashes. His goal against Brentford on his Premier League debut stands out, while a positive start to the season saw him start last campaign’s North London Derby at the Emirates Stadium. Those moments have been too few and far between though.
Of course, injuries have played their part. Vieira arrived at Arsenal in the summer of 2022 with a foot problem that saw him miss all of pre-season, a crucial time to acclimatise to Mikel Arteta’s tactical demands. He also missed around four months of last season after requiring multiple surgeries on a groin issue.
Upon returning he managed just 54 minutes, remaining an unused substitute on 14 occasions. Maybe it was because he couldn’t risk getting him up to match sharpness in crucial games, but when it came down to the crunch, it seemed Arteta did not trust Vieira.
It’s a damning indictment on the midfielder who is now 24 years old. Arteta promised that we were “going to enjoy” Vieira when we got the chance to see him, but three years in, that has hardly happened.
