Who is Fabio Vieira? Arsenal's new creator likened to Bernardo Silva
The priority for Arsenal this summer was a new striker, but with that issue set to be corrected with the likely arrival of Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City, attention turns to strengthening the squad elsewhere.
European football returns to the Emirates Stadium next season and while they did miss out on a Champions League finish at the expense of north London rivals Tottenham, the Europa League can be just as draining. Adding to the depth of the squad is vital this summer. An early exit from the FA Cup meant the Gunners played just 45 competitive matches last summer, a figure that fans hope will rise in 2022/23 should they progress through their respective competitions.
Another central midfielder is a need for Mikel Arteta's side, with Youri Tielemans the priority to strengthen, but before that; another creative outlet is set to make the move to England.
While Vitinha was the focus for gossip columns on Thursday, Arsenal quietly saw a bid accepted for FC Porto teammate Fabio Vieira, and quickly wrapped up the deal for the latter. The Gunners had little issue creating chances in the Premier League last season, finishing 2021/22 with the fourth most key passes per game (11.5) in England's top tier, but adding another player to ease the creative burden on Martin Odegaard is a benefit to the north London outfit.
Odegaard created 76 of Arsenal's 436 goalscoring chances last season, 17.4% of their total, and while Bukayo Saka (68) ran the Norwegian a close second, beyond the pair, there was little offered in the final third in terms of chance creation. Indeed, Odegaard alone made more key passes than Gabriel Martinelli and Emile Smith Rowe (64) combined. Adding another body in the number 10 role is key, then, as without the Norway international, Arsenal are without the player that links the attack together.
Vieira fits the bill well. Only Rafa (15) ended the 2021/22 Liga Bwin campaign with more assists than the 22-year-old (14), this despite registering just 1329 minutes of league action for the Portuguese champions. Factor in his six goals, and Vieira was directly involved in a league goal every 66.5 minutes for Porto last season. A return of 2.3 key passes per 90 ranked ninth in Portugal's top tier last term and the hope is that he can transfer those solid attacking numbers to the Premier League.
Additionally, Vieira is more than just a number 10, yet rather a player who can operate in a number of roles. Arteta favoured a 4-2-3-1 setup last season, so the logical decision will be that Vieira will play the role behind the striker. However, able to play as the attacking number 8 in a 4-3-3, and on either wing, means Arteta has greater tactical flexibility to set his side up differently, but without impacting the gameplan.
Much of that is down to Vieira's versatility and that he offers more than just additional creativity from midfield. The youngster averaged two tackles and interceptions combined per 90 in Liga Bwin last season, while 1.4 successful dribbles per 90 was also a respectable return.
Due to his willingness to get on the ball, drive the team forward and create for others, all the while working hard when out of possession, Vieira has been likened to compatriot Bernardo Silva, and the comparisons are not without reason. Arsenal were linked with a move for Silva last summer, though after his stunning campaign with Manchester City, his value has again skyrocketed, but their interest in Vieira therefore made sense. Arteta is unlikely to throw Vieira in at the deep end upon his summer arrival, yet he is a player who adds a touch of class to the attack, and importantly, helps ease the burden on Odegaard as the primary creator in the squad.
With Porto confirming that a deal is done, there is an element of risk with spending around €40m on a player who didn't feature frequently last season, yet when called upon, he tore defences apart with ease. Arsenal are hoping that'll be the case at the Emirates in 2022/23.
