Arsenal 'agree loan deal' for £34m star as Mikel Arteta makes transfer U-turn

Despite Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta’s compliments about Fabio Vieira’s development last season, the midfielder is reportedly to make a loan return to Porto.

Vieira, who joined the Gunners in July 2022 with high hopes after a £34million move from the Portuguese giants, found his first year challenging at the Emirates.

The talented 24-year-old displayed moments of brilliance, notably his long-distance goal against Brentford, but consistent appearances eluded him due to intense competition within the squad.

Early on in the previous season, there were signs Vieira might justify Arteta’s confidence after a solid performance against Manchester United, leading to the manager praising his growth.

“Something has changed with Fabio, you notice with the crowd when he steps in he is different to how he was last year,” said Arteta. “He’s more mature, he’s more senior in the squad and his confidence in the squad is high so I’m really happy to have those options.”

Yet despite featuring in 15 games and chalking up a goal and three assists, Vieira saw limited league play post-groin surgery in February and often remained on the bench during the tail end of the 2023-24 season.

With the signing of Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad and the rise of Hale End graduate Ethan Nwaneri, Vieira’s chances at the Emirates Stadium seemed to be dwindling once more.

A temporary loan now appears to be the perfect solution, with The Athletic reporting that an agreement has been reached with his former club, Porto. As a result, Vieira will not be included in Arteta’s squad for Saturday’s trip to Aston Villa as Porto finalise the transfer.

Vieira featured in Arsenal’s pre-season line-up but did not participate in their opening-weekend triumph over Wolves. His last start for Arsenal was in the Carabao Cup in November of last year.