Arsenal have confirmed the signing of Fabio Vieira from Porto. The attacking midfielder joined the Gunners in a deal that will be worth a total of £34million which includes a potential of £5million in bonuses.
The 22-year-old will wear the number 21 shirt and joins having scored seven goals and provided a whopping 16 assists across all competitions last term - numbers that will be music to the ears of Arsenal supporters.
After signing a long-term deal with the north Londoners, Vieira said: "I’m thrilled, of course. This is an important step forward in my career. Arsenal is a huge and historic club, so I’m delighted to be here at my new home."
READ MORE: Fabio Vieira's first words after completing £34m Arsenal transfer from Porto
He added: "As I said, Arsenal is a historic English club. It’s one of the biggest clubs in the world. Everyone knows that Arsenal are a fantastic team. That was one of the main factors behind me choosing Arsenal. I really like the way the team plays and I can’t wait to get started."
Mikel Arteta said: ”I am very excited that we have identified and signed such a special talent. Fabio is a very creative player that will bring high quality and versatility to our attacking play. We welcome Fabio and his family to our club and are looking forward to starting work with him ahead of the new season.”
Vieira is predominantly an attacking midfielder, with the capability to play as a number ten, as an attacking no.8 in a midfield three and on either flank. The left-footed maestro is similar to fellow Portuguese star Bernardo Silva in some ways considering the duo can both drive with the ball at their feet and unlock defences with precise passing whilst also never shying away from their defensive duties.
While he is extremely versatile, it's likely Vieira will operate as a central midfielder in Mikel Arteta's favoured 4-3-3 system. With that said, how exactly could the Arsenal side look at the start of the 2022/23 season with Vieira in Arteta's starting XI? Here, we take a look at how Arsenal could line up next season with the attacking midfielder in the side.
GK: Aaron Ramsdale
RB: Takehiro Tomiyasu
CB: Ben White
CB: Gabriel
LB: Kieran Tierney
CDM: Thomas Partey
CM: Fabio Vieira
CM: Martin Odegaard
RW: Bukayo Saka
LW: Gabriel Martinelli
ST: Eddie Nketiah
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