EXCLUSIVE: Arsenal midfielder Fabio Vieira attracts interest from Ligue 1

Steve Kay

• 26 Jan 2024 11:00 CST
• 3 min read

Exclusive

Monaco and one other French club have enquired about a loan deal for Arsenal midfielder Fabio Vieira, FootballTransfers has been told.

Vieira joined Arsenal on a permanent deal from Porto for €35m plus €5m add-ons in 2022 but since joining the club the Portugal international has struggled to find the form he regularly produced in the Portuguese Primeira Liga.

Vieira also has struggled with injuries since arriving at the Emirates and even underwent surgery on his groin in November. Gunners head coach Mikel Arteta had earmarked his comeback after the winter break, but it remains to be seen if he will be considered for the upcoming fixture against Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Tuesday.

Sources tell us that there is still a chance the player could leave in this window, especially with the return to full fitness of Arsenal fan favourite Emile Smith Rowe, and new signing Kai Havertz who has taken up Vieira's spot.

It's believed that the 23-year-old could have a big future ahead of him once he manages to find more consistency, and a loan move would be the ideal next step for his development.

Has Mikel Arteta given up on Fabio Vieira?

It comes after Gary Neville stated he believes that Arteta has lost faith in £34million signing Vieira. The Portugal under-21 talent was signed from Porto for a fee in the summer of 2022 but so far failed to secure a spot in the starting XI.

The former Manchester United defender said on Sky Sports: "Fabio Vieira cost £34million. Mikel thought he would’ve weakened the side by bringing him on. They do rely on the perfect pass and the thread, they haven’t got full-backs that deliver really good crosses, they haven’t got a midfield player that switches play or plays De Bruyne-style crosses."