Arsenal's £34 million investment in Portuguese playmaker Fabio Vieira appears to be nearing a definitive conclusion, with the midfielder's future lying away from the Emirates Stadium after failing to win the trust of manager Mikel Arteta.
A Signing That Symbolised a Bygone Era
The summer of 2022 is remembered as the pivotal transfer window that propelled Arsenal back into the Premier League title conversation. While the arrivals of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City were credited with transforming the team's mentality, the signing of Fabio Vieira from Porto for £34 million in June represented a different philosophy.
Vieira, a slight and technically gifted attacking midfielder, embodied the archetype of player long associated with the Arsene Wenger era. His notably slim build immediately stood out in the physically demanding Premier League. After an injury delayed his start, he made his full debut against Brentford in September 2022, scoring his first goal for the club.
The Growing Doubt and Lack of Opportunities
Despite this promising start, Vieira quickly found himself relegated to a peripheral role. The majority of his appearances came from the bench, with Jesus and Zinchenko considered indispensable. By January 2023, it was evident Arteta did not view him as a regular starter.
This lack of faith was publicly highlighted by pundit Gary Neville during a 0-0 draw with Newcastle. Neville noted on Sky Sports commentary that Arteta's refusal to bring Vieira on suggested he did not believe the £34m signing would improve the team. "Arteta, he looks at £34million Vieira on his bench and doesn’t bring him on, so he doesn’t have faith," Neville stated.
Vieira's first season ended with just one goal and two assists in 501 Premier League minutes. The following 2023/24 campaign saw his opportunities diminish further, with Arteta occasionally using him as a right-wing backup. A red card against Burnley and a subsequent groin injury limited him to a mere 54 minutes of football after November 2023.
Loan Exits and an Inevitable Departure
By 2024, it was clear Vieira's profile did not match the physical demands of Arteta's system, which relied on powerhouse midfielders like Declan Rice and Kai Havertz. Seeking playing time, Vieira returned to Porto on loan for the 2024/25 season, where he eventually rediscovered form, contributing 11 goals in 42 appearances.
Arsenal attempted to sell him last summer, but no suitable offers materialised. Instead, he was loaned again, this time to newly-promoted Bundesliga side Hamburger SV until the end of the current season. His time in Germany began turbulently with two red cards in his early matches, but he has since shown flashes of his talent with a goal and two assists in recent outings.
Vieira is expected to leave Arsenal permanently in the summer of 2026. Unless a club meets Arsenal's valuation for a player with two years left on his contract, his English football chapter will close as a costly experiment that never truly ignited, defined more by bench-warming and loan spells than by decisive moments in an Arsenal shirt.
