Arsenal midfielder agrees to join big European club due to Mikel Merino’s arrival
Arsenal midfielder Fabio Vieira has agreed to return to FC Porto on loan for the 2024/25 campaign following the arrival of Mikel Merino at the Premier League club.
Everything is ready for the Real Sociedad star to be announced as a new Arsenal player after a breakthrough in talks this week.
According to Sky Sports, the two clubs agreed on a fee in the region of £32.6m, made up of an initial £28.4m fee and a further £4.2m in performance-related add-ons. The 28-year-old has agreed terms on a four-year deal with the option of a further year at the Emirates Stadium.
The arrival of the Euro 2024 winner is great news for Mikel Arteta as it gives the Arsenal coach strong options for the central areas of his team, however, it is not good news for other stars.
One of those is Fabio Viera and as a result of Merino’s arrival, in addition to Ethan Nwaneri’s emergence, the Portuguese star has agreed to return to FC Porto on loan for the 2024/25 campaign, reports The Athletic.
The 24-year-old will not be part of Arteta’s squad for Arsenal’s trip to Aston Villa on Saturday as Porto work to finalise the switch.
Why hasn’t Fabio Vieira worked at Arsenal?
Vieira joined Arsenal from FC Porto in July 2022 for a fee of around €40m, penning a contract with the North London outfit until 2027. The Portuguese star has found it difficult to break into the starting 11 at the Emirates Stadium in the time since, as it is very difficult to shift the likes of Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice.
The 24-year-old featured in 15 matches across all competitions for Arsenal during the 2023/24 campaign, scoring once and adding three assists.
A move back to Porto will be good for Vieira as not only will he receive game time, but it will also give the player confidence to come back and compete for a position at the Premier League club next season.
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