Who is Fabio Vieira? The £34m-rated starlet who is ‘flying to London’ to agree Arsenal transfer

Arsenal are closing in on a deal with Porto for young midfielder Fabio Vieira football.london understands.

The Gunners are keen to bolster Mikel Arteta’s young squad and end their six-year UEFA Champions League hiatus after finishing just two points behind local rivals Tottenham Hotspur last season. A move for Leicester City star Youri Tielemans has looked likely in recent weeks and football.london understands that the north Londoners are indeed interested in the Belgian international.

Arsenal have been tracking the Portugal under-21 international for some time and have now agreed a €40 million (£34 million) deal. But what kind of player would Arteta’s side be getting? football.london takes a closer look below.

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Who is Fabio Vieira?

Aged just 23, Vieira is a talented midfielder born in Santa Maria da Feira, Portugal.

He is a nimble midfielder, standing at just 5ft 7ins and currently plying his trade with Portuguese giants Porto. The youngster has been at the Estádio do Dragão since he was just 8 years old, rising through their youth ranks before establishing himself as a first-team regular in recent seasons.

Why do Arsenal want him?

Arsenal’s main problem last season was scoring goals, netting just 61 times across the entire 2021/22 Premier League campaign. The Gunners lacked cutting edge in the final third, missing a number of high-quality chances – something that is to be addressed in the market as technical director Edu looks for a prolific forward to replace Alexandre Lacazette.

However, Arteta’s squad also lacks a consistent creator from midfield outside of Norwegian captain Martin Odegaard. Accumulating just over 63xG (expected goals), as per Understat, 30 less than winners Manchester City and second-placed Liverpool.

Therefore, signing Silva certainly addresses this when you consider his elite playmaking abilities. The young playmaker netted seven goals and provided a whopping 16 assists across all competitions last term – numbers that read even more impressive when you consider that he played just 1,990 minutes. Equating to a direct goal contribution every 87 minutes.

How would he fit in?

Vieira is predominantly an attacking midfielder, with the capability to play as a number ten, as an attacking no.8 in a midfield three and on either flank. The left-footed maestro is similar to fellow Portuguese star Bernardo Silva in some ways considering the duo can both drive with the ball at their feet and unlock defences with precise passing whilst also never shying away from their defensive duties.

It is so far unclear whether or not the 22-year-old’s imminent arrival in north London impacts Arsenal’s aforementioned pursuit of Tielemans but Vieira would likely operate as a central midfielder in Arteta’s favoured 4-3-3 system. Against deep blocks, the Portuguese Under-21 international could be joined by fellow playmaker Odegaard with Thomas Partey anchoring the base of a midfield three.

If the former Manchester City assistant coach decides to deploy a 4-2-3-1 formation, Vieira has the capability to play in any of the three positions behind the striker, often featuring as a wide playmaker on the right flank during his time with Porto. The diminutive midfielder’s ability to create chances for teammates is arguably his greatest asset but is should also be noted how clinical he can be in front of goal.

In just 20 outings for the Seleção’s Under-21 side, he has netted 13 goals, showing he is much more than a creative midfielder.

What has been said?

If Portugal Under-21 boss Rui Jorge is to be believed, Arsenal will be getting a hugely promising player if they are to sign Vieira. Speaking about Vieira last year, Jorge said: “Fabio had a good game.

“He is a very technically advanced player, he is good at defining, but he needs to improve some aspects of his game in order to become a full-fledged player. He knows this and will work on these aspects. Fabio has a great future if he sees fit. I think he wants to be the player he can be. I believe that we can meet a great player.”

Arsenal fans – how good of a signing would Fabio Vieira be and how much would he improve Mikel Arteta’s midfield? Leave your thoughts down below in the comments section below!