Arsenal star Fabio Vieira has claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are among some of his footballing idols and compared himself to the latter of the two when it comes to his style of play. The Portuguese playmaker is yet to truly show his ability at the club, having joined from FC Porto in the summer.
He has made some cameo appearances in the Premier League as well as some starts in the Europa League, with his standout performance coming in a clash against Brentford as a replacement for captain Martin Odegaard. Vieira scored a stunning goal to cap off an ideal performance with a snapshot of his talent.
"We were looking for very specific qualities in the market, and when I saw him, I really liked what I saw," Mikel Arteta told the press when discussing the 22-year-old. "Straight away, I was convinced that he was a player who can help us go to the next level and that he had the right personality and character to play for our club.
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"It's a shame that we detected an injury when we were doing the medical. He had no pre-season, and everything has been delayed, but hopefully, you're going to see a lot more of him in the next few weeks, and I'm sure that you'll enjoy it."
With plenty more to come from the youngster, it could take some time to see him get to the peak of his ability, but it could be an exciting proposition. He discussed his journey to the Emirates Stadium with the official Arsenal website, outlining his footballing idols growing up.
"The two biggest influences for me are Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi," The Portuguese midfielder explained. "Ronaldo not because he is Portuguese, but he is really someone who really inspires others with his work ethic, how he had to leave his family and his comfort zone to sign for Sporting, and for him to build the career that he has built inspires everyone.
"Messi is more to do with my style of play. I am similar to Messi, and I appreciate the way that he plays."
Should he unlock the heights that Messi reached, the Gunners could have quite a gem on their hands for years and years to come. However, it could take some time for him to integrate into the squad to do so, especially given the strength in depth at the top end of the pitch.
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