Fabio Vieira exit details revealed as Arsenal decision could have huge impact on Gabriel Martinelli

Arsenal signed Fabio Vieira in the summer of 2022, paying £30 million to prise him away from Porto.

Since then, Mikel Arteta has afforded Vieira 49 first team appearances for the Gunners, across all competitions. 33 of those outings have come in the Premier League.

The Portuguese playmaker has shown flashes of quality at times, too. He has scored a handful of goals, and provided a few eye-catching assists. Ultimately, though, this sprinkling of promising moments is not enough to detract from the fact that he has failed to consistently impress in North London.

Vieira was uninspiring in pre-season too, and it would now seem that Arteta is willing to give up on the 24-year-old.

Vieira has agreed to return to Porto on loan.

Details of Fabio Vieira loan from Arsenal to Porto

It will be hoped that a return to his boyhood club, where he began his career and produced the kind of form that convinced Arsenal to invest in his services in the first place, will help Vieira to get back to his best.

There is still, perhaps, a hope that Vieira could return to Arsenal and salvage his career at the Emirates Stadium. After all, as reported by O Jogo, there is no option to buy clause included for Porto in this loan agreement.

On top of that, the Portuguese outfit will not have to pay a loan fee to temporarily acquire his services, either. However, they are paying the midfielder’s full salary, meaning that that is an expense that Arsenal can cut from their own books this season.

Why Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are set to suffer

A fair amount of Vieira’s game time for the Gunners has come on the right flank, deputising for Bukayo Saka. He is not a natural in this role, and certainly his inability to really nail down a preferred position contributed towards his Arsenal career falling short of hopes and expectations.

However, back up options for Saka have been somewhat thin on the ground at times, especially as Arteta clearly lacks faith in Reiss Nelson. As such, unless Arsenal sign a new winger in the coming days then there will be even less cover for Saka should Vieira depart, increasing the strain on the England star to remain fit and available.

Meanwhile, Vieira and Gabriel Martinelli are close friends, with the pair having been described as like “brothers.”

Whilst Martinelli will want Vieira to do well and get his career back on track, he will inevitably miss his friend once he returns to Porto.