Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Arsenal fans are yet to catch a glimpse of new signing Fabio Vieira on the pitch but the wait is almost over.
THE LOWDOWN: ARSENAL’S SURPRISE SUMMER SIGNING
Arsenal’s pursuit of Fabio Vieira was pretty much done in stealth mode, from start to finish. While the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham were already linked with the Portuguese, it emerged out of the blues that the Gunners had agreed a deal to sign the highly-rated midfielder.
With Arsenal fans still sourcing for the ‘truth’, several credible outlets reported backed up the developing story and it was eventually made official by the club. While many continue to wonder why the club spent that much for a player who might not be guaranteed first-team action, it’s easy to see that he was bought with a long-term view in mind.
Boasting much versatility and the ability to play effectively in four midfield positions, Vieira will come as a major asset for Mikel Arteta and will provide needed competition to the likes of Martin Odegaard, Emile Smith Rowe, Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka.
THE LATEST: VIEIRA YET TO PLAY FOR ARSENAL
While the rest of Arsenal’s summer signings in Marquinhos, Matt Turner and Gabriel Jesus have all featured in either of the club’s pre-season games, Vieira is the only one yet to make an appearance.
In the build-up to the game against Everton, Vieira was spotted training away from the main group, along with full-backs Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney. Speaking after the win, Arteta revealed the player was nursing a bone injury in his foot.
“He had a slight problem in his bone (in his foot) and hopefully he will start to train in the next week or so,” the Spaniard said. “We have Kieran with a slight problem, we have Emile [Smith Rowe] as well with a muscular niggle, Tomiyasu as well and Ben [White]. The rest are fine but it’s a matter of days with those guys.”
Arsenal’s next pre-season fixture against MLS side Orlando City on Thursday might come too soon for Vieira but he could be in line to play some minutes against Chelsea on Sunday.
THE BIG QUESTION: WHERE WILL VIEIRA PLAY FOR ARSENAL?
It remains to be seen where the Portuguese will eventually play for Arsenal. As mentioned earlier, his versatility will come as a much-needed boost but could also be the player’s undoing, if he fails to nail down a particular position on the pitch.
Speaking in a recent interview with The Athletic, Vieira talked briefly about his playing style and the position that suits him the most.
“The manager told me he knows I can play as a midfielder – number eight or ten – or on the wing, left side or right side. They know I am a versatile player,” he said.
“I prefer number ten. It’s my real position. I’m an offensive player but I need to work on the defensive side.”
To feature in the number ten role though, he will need to battle Martin Odegaard and Smith Rowe for that role and it will take a great effort to become the preferred starter in that role.
