‘VIEIRA OHHHH OHHH OHHHH, HE COMES FROM PORTUGAL, HE WANTS TO WIN IT ALL!’
COME ON THAT IS A GOOD SONG!
Oh, you want to know what I’m talking about?
🚨 Fabio Vieira set to join Arsenal from Porto. Fee €35m + €5m, 5yr deal. 22yo AMF flying to London today & will undergo medical before completing move. Process started + managed by Jorge Mendes, @TheAthleticUK after @pedromsepulveda scoop #AFC #FCPorto https://t.co/b839GEGBRC
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) June 16, 2022
David Ornstein and Fabrizio Romano and a bunch of Portuguese journos are saying that we are in for attacking midfielder Fabio Vieira.
Talk about classic early 2000s Arsenal WOAH WHERE DID THAT COME FROM transfer news.
The player is 5ft7, he seems to play all across the midfield, his end delivery is most excellent, the player racked up 14 assists last season. Vieira also fits the mould from a profile perspective, he’s 22 years old, he’s made 76 apps for the Portuguese giants, and I suspect he has VERY good character. Dare I say he has a bit of the Santi’s in tight spaces?
A lot of the players videos show off his ability to break play from deep with accurate long balls and some of his final 3rd work looked very Tielemans/Xhaka-ish. But, apparently, he’s more of a second striker and an attacking midfielder.
Do I know how he fits into this Arsenal starting 11? No. But I’m sure there’s a cunning plan. He’s very good in tight spots, control seems to be a key component of his game, and his final ball looks really, really sharp.
I didn’t expect this sort of signing, but he does check the box of ‘better end product’ that we need. Arsenal has to find more goals next season, this guy might help us get there. 7 goals isn’t the greatest in Portugal but combined with 16 assists, it shows where things couldn’t be going for someone very young.
What is very interesting is no one picked up on this deal. Arsenal don’t have the biggest wallet, so they have to make their moves in silence, if we pull this off, it’ll be quite something because none of the big journos had a clue.
There are some other stories doing the rounds, the Italian journos who called the Vlahovic bid are saying we’re looking at Oshimen for £80m, some German folk are saying Nkunku for £100m (lol), and The Times are reporting that we’re frontrunners for Gabi Jesus and that deal will be done.
One day after crying like babies on the Patreon Podcast, we’re out here perking up and puffing out our chests?
A good day. Why don’t YOU tell ME how you think this transfers works for our squad?
Also, sign up to the Patreon for FRESH content.
I’d be happy to Aasim, he’s a good player but he seems intent on not being here next season.
“What’s the consensus on retaining Torriera and integrating him into the team ?“
Arteta told him he had no place in his squad, that’s according to Torreira’s agent.
Talks of Ode being captain too next year so it does appear ominous for ESR, which isn’t great.
Main thing is though we have more games, with 5 subs next year we need bodies/depth.
This new signing was being tracked by city and Liverpool
Liverpool had the first refusal
Looks like an excellent signing
Used both feet very well and is more like David Silva.
Rap
Arteta wants to move to a fluid 433 midfield. He tried it last year with ESR, Odegaard and Partey and it failed. He also tried to play Xhaka higher up the pitch. And it was better. So I think he might be coming in for Xhaka.
This kid only make sense if he is playing CM/AM like Bernardo and Debruyne or if he is playing RW. I don’t know why we are signing him and Tielemans tbh.
I don’t mind more bodies and I don’t mind a quality Santiesque player, I actually love it. If this Vieira dude can operate everywhere in attack like a Foden or Jota, and he can play Pepe’s role, Ode’s role, Martinelli’s role, then sure, it’s not bad. I just wonder what the thought process was not to go for Raphinha who will most certainly add incredible value to our forward line, is a specialist winger and is very proven in the EPL. We add a playmaker when supposedly Ode is exactly that. It’s some sort of overcomplicating things. If he is… Read more »
I’ve always thought we need to sign players before they full take off, because then they are out of our reach.
Al the Porto inside sources on twitter rate this lad massively.
Apparently, he was the best player in the U-21 Euros
Le Grove is as positive as ever. Think if we signed peaked Messi some people would still moan.
Habesha – “This kid only make sense if he is playing CM/AM like Bernardo and Debruyne or if he is playing RW. I don’t know why we are signing him and Tielemans tbh.”
It might be because Tielemens plays for Leicester as DM/CM, so maybe he offers a different dimension.
ERS is not “dead and gone”
Remember that FIVE SUBS are now allowable for domestic games and European games
The teams that do well will have two comparable players for every position.
I mean if we’re getting Vieira and we decide to move Odegaard in CM, with Odegaard and Tielemans we are getting the 2 CMs that we needed. Yet, none of them can fill Partey’s role. And we’ll have what? Odegaard and Tielemans fighting for the same spot? Or is Tielemans not happening? Wtf?
Smith Rowe has fitness issues and always has since he started playing senior football. Plus last season he was carrying a hip problem during the 2nd half of the season .
He’s still young and hopefully he becomes more robust and resistant in the coming seasons because his talent is unquestionable.
Inside Right
“When Nketiah completes his switch to Ghana, does that mean (assuming he signs a new contract) he no longer counts as part of our English homegrown quota?”
HG does not have anything to do with nationality
In any case nketiah will still remain a UK citizen and can’t be discriminated against in the workplace.
That’s beside the point Dissenter.
ESR should be a starter. He has more than proven that in the past 18 months.
I hope we get rid of Xhaka and sign Tielemans. I would love that midfield. Tielemans, Partey, Odegaard ESR, Viera, Sambi, Elneny. I would be okay with that for next season.
WengerEagle
I think Arteta is trying to overload the team with technical players. He gave ESR the No 10. But I think he sees him as a wider player. ESR can succeed there too if we are being honest. He is fast, technical and can play combinations. Grealish was the same type of player ESR is. So he that might be what this transfer is all about.
If someone had told me that our first transfer will be an AM, I’d be shocked. I don’t like Odegaard’s lack of dynamic and I believe we needed to upgrade there. But not when we have other holes in the squad to fill. Whatever, just wait and see I guess. But totally unexpected not only name, but the profile of the player, which I actually love, just wonder if the money wouldn’t have seen a better use in getting our #1 priority signings done.
Any player it does not matter nationality is classed as HG once the player completes 3 seasons at the club and is below 19 years old at the point of signing cesc was hg
Habesha
I was hoping that ESR could mold into a Nasri type wide playmaker but watching him last season on the left it was pretty clear that he is far better as the CAM.
We still lack that wide playmaker for the left. Julian Brandt is still a player that I have a lot of time for.
Inside
Tielemans isn’t a DM. He is a pure No 8. He isn’t a No 10 either. So I think Arteta is planning a 433 midfield. Partey/Sambi/Elneny as a 6. Odegaard, Viera, Tielemans and possibly Xhaka as attacking 8s. But we have too many players in that midfield imo.
This lad reminds me of Christopher Nkunku when he was moving from PSG to Leipzig
He seems to be in the same mould, more like a Mason Mount.
We are still going to buy a central midfielder, me thinks
CDM is of crucial importance. We only have injury-prone Partey as a solid option there.
Wenger eagle
ESR looked like he struggled with injury all of last season
He never could past past 60 minutes
He will get his chances this season. We need to create some crazy competition fort starting spaces and then hope that Arteta will be fair to all concerned.
Like with the 35m we could have added to Jesus’ money and brought Osimhen or Nkunku instead, and it would have been one of the transfers of the Summer.
WengerEagle
To be honest, I am not so sure that ESR is better at No 10. The few games I have seen him play as a 10 last season he struggled a bit. You can check out the stats if you don’t believe me. He was a bit better the season before when he broke through with that home game against Chelsea. I also thought he would be better as a 10 but he has smashed it last season from wide. I would love it if he had more licence to move around from wide though.
I have to say, not trying to poo this signing.
Spending this much on potential, makes the Bissouma miss look more stupid.
This young players will need time to get up to speed, the likes of Bissouma will be ready to go from day one.
Just gonna wait and see though, this transfer was so out of the blue that if they all are this way, I wouldn’t complain. Aside from Jesus and Tielemans who both appear nailed on.
If arsenal actually pay 50 million for Jesus with one year left on his contract I dunno
CDM is of crucial importance. We only have injury-prone Partey as a solid option there.
This guy would of been cheap
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XE-d8pZT8Go&t=127s
Missed out
I have to say I didn’t think that Fabio Vieira going from ‘Who?’ to ‘the new Bernardo Silva’ in around 5 minutes would be beaten but fair play to WW for raising the bar with the comparison to Mbappe, Haaland, Benzema and Nunez shortly afterwards.
raptora
You won’t find many Nigerian gooners who think Osimen is all that
https://www.whoscored.com/Players/363686/Show/Emile-Smith-Rowe
Check out the games he has played in central midfield or attacking midfield, he wasn’t as good as when he played wide. I also though he would be better centrally but he is smashing it out wide. I would love him to get better and be that type of Nasri, Grealish wide player. He is capable of it too.
Habesha
I was only pointing out how Leicester have used him. When you compare his stats with someone like Maddison he is much more defensively minded, so yes, he’s not a 10. But for me he’s a split between a 6 and 8. He can do both roles and he’s been used that way to good effect.
Diss bisouma is a holder a Partey replacement this kid is not the same player so you can’t compare the buys
Classic Arsenal, Le Grover’s have made their lists, the ITK’ers on twitter have taken odds and pushed agendas’s on order of incomers when and whom. Arsenal go out a pull a classic Wenger bringing another attacking mid into the mixer in an area nobody really thought was too pressing. With a player nobody had mentioned.
Fabio Vieira definitely has a nice ring. Arteta going full City and just got the Bernardo Silva piece. Lets hope he finds the Gundogan, Aguero and maybe Sterling ones next.
Looks plans change. Arteta, with his current attitude towards Nkitah has shown he isn’t completely fixated on ideas and is open to changing his views based on evidence.
LT is ideal for the slightly forward role that Xhaka was playing when partnered with TP. He is great at pressing, tidy at finishing and good technical ability. Integrate him and we don’t need another body in the midfield, allowing us to spend big on a quality striker or more squad depth.
I m just happy that we ve bought a guy that will add to our vreativity/goals. We needed it. Striker and CM is next.
And he does look Santi Cazorla/David Silva like, my favorite kind of players.
Creativity*
Raptora
“If someone had told me that our first transfer will be an AM, I’d be shocked. I don’t like Odegaard’s lack of dynamic and I believe we needed to upgrade there”
Just need to upgrade the keeper and the 2 positions i have the most concern would have been addressed.
We need experienced signings now.
Pierre we don’t need to upgrade the keeper ramsdale is just fine
I’d imagine the likes of Eddie and Martinelli can’t wait to play with a CAM who can pick a pass
To ne honest if this kid becomes that Santi, Cesc type of player I am all for it. I have missed these kind of players at Arsenal. We used to have a ton of them. And they always made the football more enjoyable even if we didn’t succeed. So at least our football will be less boring this coming season.
Amen habesha we where so lucky we had those players at the same time
Habesha
I’d be interested in the amount of minutes that he was given as the CAM, the opposition, etc.
9 games is a tiny sample size. For me he is at his best in and around the box as his link-up play and passing/touch with team mates especially Saka is superb and he is a great finisher for a midfielder.
Prime Ramsey-esque.
Santi was stupidly ambidextrous, maybe the most two-footed player that we have ever had. Used to take set-pieces with his left foot even though he was right-footed.
This kid looks amazing with his left peg but no real evidence that he can use his right foot.
Zero question we are adding a central mid in this window as well, but the Arsenal are in no position to be shunting £30+m into depth.
Vieira going right into the mixer in some capacity.
Dominant lefties tend to be more one-footed and overly reliant on their strong foot than right-footers.
Nearly ever true ambidextrous player (Cazorla, Perisic, Pedro, KDB, etc) was right-foot dominant.
Raptora, I have no idea. There could be perfectly plausible reasons for it. I didn’t know who he was 5 hours ago BUT 1) his stats are Super Elite 2) Everyone who has seen him play says he’s the absolute dog bollocks so he passes the eye test 3) his style seems perfectly suited to our game 4) He was player of the tournament at U21 Euros. Past winners include Rudi Voller, Laurent Blanc, Luis Figo, Cannavaro, Pirlo, Cech, Mata, and Thiago. That’s a pretty sexy list! The combination of those four points are enough to satisfy me. Arteta clearly… Read more »
The deal with young players is they are still developing. ERS is still growing and hence the injury issues. He will be fine. He’s a real talent.
Also, wasn’t Ian Wright still playing non league at 22? He turned out alright…
Wenger eagle
9 games is small but he played on the left 16 times as a starter and he scores 7 and provided 3 from there. 16 games is still a small sample size but he was much better there than in central midfield. I think he can be whatever he wants to be. If he focuses he can play to a much higher level from out wide too.
Y’all celebrating like you do t know smith Rowe is going?
salparadisenyc, totally agree there. The idea that we’re adding a backup at that price is a non-starter.
Other winners of the award are Dani Ceballos, Marcus Berg and Royston Drenthe.
In other words, not to be taken overly serious.
Where do you see FV slotting into the XI Pedro?
FV, Odegaard and ESR will be hard to cram into the starting outfit.
I mean the last 2 U21 Euro player of the tournament winners were Ceballos and Fabian Ruiz. Ceballos didn’t quite turn out the real deal did he… I like Ruiz though. Before that some quality but also the likes of William Carvalho, Marcus Berg, Royston Drenthe, Gilardino etc. Clearly at 21 most of the best players are already in the senior team even if their countries are stacked like Saka and Martinelli for example.
Not sure why people are moaning about s signing
Habesha
Maybe, I am unconvinced but I rate ESR very highly so even him at LM not at the peak of his powers is still a very good player.
Where do you see Vieira slotting in? He’ll undoubtedly start for such a sum of money you’d imagine.
0 starts in 6 Champions League games
2 starts in 4 Europa League games
15 starts in 34 Portugal League games
2 starts in 7 Portugal Cup games
19 starts in 51 games
Just how incredibly stacked is this Porto team if they are selling a squad player for 35m+.
Raps chill out man ffs
Bit harsh that Raptora.
Porto are by far the best team in Portugal so yes they are stacked against such a weak field. They barely missed a beat and marched on to the title even selling and not replacing by far their best player in Luis Diaz in January.
This Viera kid doesn’t look out of place here vs Liverpool
https://youtu.be/_WriA-T7P30
Wenger eagle
I honestly see Xhaka moving on either this window or in January. And we will move to a 433 midfield. Viera, Odegaard, Tielemans and ESR from time to time will fill those 2 positions ahead of the DM. Partey will sit. I don’t know if Sambi is the answer at 6 right now though. That may be why we extended Elneny. So that Sambi can acclimatize and be that No 6. It is all guessing but this is what it seems like to me.
Obvious question- does a side that has deliver top 4 next season sign a €40M prospect?
He played well enough against pool for them to ask for first refusal,
I’m not dissing on him WE, I’m actually surprised.
Just the fact that Martinelli got 26 starts this season, as many as Vieira has had in his entire senior career and he is a year older playing in the Portugal league. It’s kind of weird imo. He looks a good player though.
He looks very good in that comp vs Liverpool.
Bit tentative in taking on players though and never uses his right foot, I’d hope he can improve that.
Has a lovely gliding movement with terrific feet and close control. Wand of a left foot goes without saying. But quicker than Odegaard for sure.
I don’t think it’s that strange. He is 22 and likely will breakout next season given his massively ramped up production this past season.
Diaz had his breakout season at 24/25.
Although, I’ve been asking for top class youngsters that we can get for around 30m and develop them into top class players. Fabio fits the bill alright. Maybe a bit of a late bloomer I reckon. Just thought in ESR we already have the AM for our team that can develop into world class.
Raptora,
You seem determined to look for problems. I said I was content because he fulfilled the 4 criteria. I believe Ceballos only fulfilled criteria 4 from memory.
Anyway, judging by that list we have a 50% chance of landing ourselves an almighty legend. I’ll take those odds!
Ozil was no use with his right foot and David Silva wasn’t great with his either so it’s not a deal-breaker but it does baffle me how so many of these elite pros cannot use their weak foot effectively.
Just seems a bizarre thing to overlook in all of those hours spent on the training ground.
Is it a common practice for Porto to play many different players so they can develop multiple prospects at the same time and buying teams can have a larger pool to shop from? Might be the case looking at Luis Diaz who also didn’t have many minutes played for Porto in the 2 seasons before this one. This one though he had 26 starts in 30 games.
“Clearly at 21 most of the best players are already in the senior team even if their countries are stacked like Saka and Martinelli for example.”
I get what your trying to say but it depends on factors such as how strong the player in questions national team is in the position which they play etc.
For example, Nkunku who’s being banded about at figures up to £80m and had 50 G/A this season made his France debut at 24.
VIntage,
true but it feels like it’s less common than top talents being noticed from a young age. Just look at the likes of Tchou, Camavinga, Mbappe, Vinicius, Gavi, Pedri even our boy Saliba, Cesc was obviously an insane player at 17 already.
And France and Spain are gigantic football powers. Portugal less so.
I love the profile, there isn’t much not to like. I hope he’s the real deal as he looks very talented.
I wonder if this is Arteta admitting that Odegaard is not providing enough penetration in attack – something that both the eye test and the stat speak about, and either bring him in CM or if Vieira and Ode will rotate.
Having nightmares of Wenger’s 4141 formation with Ozil on the left flank.
WEagle, part of it is that demands to deliver the killer pass are so great nowadays most players who are decent with their weaker foot still shift onto their stronger one.
Just listen to the PL crowd groan at every misplaced pass and you’ll get an idea how intimidating an environment it has become.
Santi C was a freak.
The only player I’ve ever watched over a 90 minute who took as many touches with both feet regardless of circumstances.
So ATM we seem to have signed yet another talented midfielder capable of putting excellent crosses into a box – to whom exactly?
Habesha: “16 games is still a small sample size but he was much better there than in central midfield.” What needs to be added is that ESR might have played on the wings because that’s where the coach told him to play, but 9 of his 11 goals were scored from a central position, and when I say central I mean very central. The type of goals that he could score with ease playing as AM. He naturally moves towards the center of the pitch because he doesn’t have the game to be a standard type of winger and every… Read more »
Fabio Vieira looks a real good player from the few available highlight clips that I’ve seen.
But having participated in celebrating Pepe’s signing based solely on some of his highlight reels, Im gonna contain myself until the rubber meets the actual road this time around.
Your Comment Here
Tom
Santi was a different breed. He scored 29 goals for us and excluding the last 8 which were penalties, 12 of the 21 goals were with his left foot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuRjHIKnc-I
ESR has scored 11 with his right foot and 9 with his left. Pretty good.
Look forward to him producing the goods. However I think that we are crying out more for a Vieira Mark 1 type. A stong hard running player who can control the middle of the field properly. We need this and an equally imposing centre forward. So nice signing but ….
Rap
Watch ESR’s goals. He might have scored them from a central position but he scored most of them drifting in from the wings. He goes undetected from the wings to a central position and he scores these goals. If he was playing Centrally may be he doesn’t get that space. I previously also thought he would be better centrally but last season it wasn’t the case. He can develop like a rope wide midfielder like Nasri, Arshavin (for a while), and like Grealish if he wants to.
Weagle
He is easily my favorite player of the last 10 years. Rosicky comes close but no one else made me enjoy football more than Santi. He could have been spoken about in the same vein as iniesta if we had a team capable of winning back then. He was just as good as anyone.
Habesha,
https://www.transfermarkt.com/emile-smith-rowe/leistungsdaten/spieler/392765
Look how many starts he has as AM. I’ve checked it already – 2 in our first 2 games when we were heavily outplayed by Brentford and Chelsea, Odegaard there wouldn’t have helped probably just the opposite.
Since the first 2 rounds he got a total of 0 starts there and 4 starts in CM next to Odegaard which isn’t really playing the AM as shown on transfermarkt.
2 starts at AM and you say he did better on the wings lol.
Agree with Raptora here much to like about this kid, stats, clips are boss. Particulary loving how nobody saw it coming, has a real seize the opportunity to it. Financially one just hopes we’ve got enough to spread but thats not remotely my job.
Also backing up my agenda that this window really has the vibe of 2013, going for high quality yet maybe not getting what we actually need.
I love this transfer policy that seeks out high ceiling-massive potential players just as they are about to visit out..
The problem is that we are paying way too much for these players.
At least we didn’t pay the release clause
I love this transfer policy that seeks out high ceiling-massive potential players just as they are about to burst out..
Santi> Santa.
I hope we give him a send off during our last home pre season match this summer in front of a full house. He more than deserves it.
Santi was my boy. Official baller
Good for Arsenal, they were able to conduct this deal in relative secrecy.
Dissenter
“I love this transfer policy that seeks out high ceiling-massive potential players just as they are about to burst out..”
Well let’s get top four first.
Then we can start loving it.
I would be gutted if this signing means we see even less of ESR, who I think could be a phenomenal player for us. I think he has a higher ceiling than even Saka.
Santi for me was probably the PL’s best dribbler ever.
Any you tube compilation of his will include a play of him mugging off three defenders from teams like City , Chelsea and United, and leaving them for dead and completely embarrassed.
He was a genius.
Matt
Biggest question for me with this signing is ESR, all questions with no answers. This biggest being where and how will Arteta harness that talent.
Nkethia is staying
Sal
Absolutely. I don’t think anyone saw this signing coming and whilst more creativity and goals will be more than welcomed, I cant see how ESR doesn’t become a casualty of this situation.
I like that 433 formation with Xhaka partey Odegaard. In that spell before Partey went injured, we were creating Man City/Liverpool like numbers in terms of chance created and Shots/Shots on target, completely dominating the opponent and playing well.
This kid Fabio Vieira looks like he can replace Xhaka in the 433 and we can play even better. Lets hope ESR is involved in all these somehow coz he’s some player in the making too.