Fabio Vieira linked to shock Arsenal departure
Reports from France suggest that Arsenal might need to address Marseille’s interest in Fabio Vieira, their attacking midfielder, in the upcoming January transfer window.
Despite joining Arsenal in the summer of 2022, questions could arise about whether he made the right choice after being transferred from Porto.
Vieira, primarily an attacking midfielder, has found it challenging to secure a regular starting position due to the presence of club captain Martin Odegaard.
Throughout the current season, Vieira has only played a full 90 minutes once, and that was in a Carabao Cup match.
Although he has made several substitute appearances, he hasn’t started a Premier League game since September.
As speculation about Vieira’s future at Arsenal grows with the approaching January transfer window, La Tribune Olympienne has suggested that Marseille is considering him as a potential target.
There’s a possibility that Marseille could bring him to Ligue 1 on loan, following the trend of players moving from Arsenal to Marseille, such as Matteo Guendouzi, William Saliba, and Nuno Tavares, who all had loan spells there in recent years.
Nevertheless, as confirmed by Fabrizio Romano to Caught Offside, a final decision regarding Vieira’s future has not been reached.
“Marseille have been linked with an interest in signing Fabio Vieira on loan, but it’s too early to say on this one,” Romano said.
“Arsenal have not decided anything yet on players to leave in January and also OM have still no director; it will be Medhi Benatia, who is set to be announced this week, but it’s still early to negotiate for players.”
Having honed his skills in the Marseille academy as a player, Benatia never had the opportunity to feature for the first team. Instead, he went on to build a successful career, showcasing his talents at renowned clubs such as Roma, Bayern Munich, and Juventus.
In an interesting turn of events, he is now set to take on the responsibility of managing Marseille’s transfer affairs. It raises the possibility that he might initiate discussions with Arsenal regarding Vieira.
Is Vieira stagnating at Arsenal?
At the youthful age of 23, Vieira is currently contracted to the Emirates Stadium until 2027. Since his departure from Porto, he has featured in 46 matches for Arsenal, contributing with three goals and nine assists.
Despite displaying noteworthy creativity, Vieira’s starting opportunities in the Premier League have been limited, with only five starts in the last couple of seasons, and he has never completed a full 90 minutes on the field.
A potential move to Marseille would mark the third club in his career and a transition to a third distinct league.
In his earlier stint with Porto, Vieira showcased his skills by scoring 10 goals and providing 18 assists in 76 appearances after progressing through their academy. On the international stage, he has accumulated 14 goals from 25 caps for Portugal’s under-21 team, highlighting his potential with more consistent playing time.
Fabio Vieira linked to shock Arsenal departure
