Arsenal loanee Fabio Vieira has experienced a vast change in recent weeks following Porto’s change in manager.
Vieira was one of several Arsenal players to be sent out on loan by Mikel Arteta in the summer transfer window.
The attacking midfielder was sent back to his former club Porto to earn much-needed game time after failing to tie down consistent minutes under Arteta.
While Vieira has impressed at Porto, the midfielder has experienced some hurdles along the way through injuries and most recently, a change in manager.
Fabio Vieira comments on position change at Porto
The start of the 2024/25 campaign was trialling for the Arsenal loanee, as Vieira was ruled out due to injury, missing a chunk of game time.
Now fit and ready to contribute, the 24-year-old has been given something else to juggle, a change in role following the arrival of Martin Anselmi.
Vieira’s position was predicted to change at Porto after Anselmi’s arrival, as the coach favours a formation with a three-man defence, altering the role of his midfielders and forwards.
As anticipated, the Arsenal midfielder has seen his role tweaked, but not as expected, as instead of being pushed into a more advanced position, the 2022 signing has been utilised deeper.
Anselmi has called Vieira into action as more of a number eight rather than a ten, seeing the Portuguese ace support the front line rather than be integrated as a part of it.
Amid the change, Vieira spoke to O Jogo, where he shared his verdict on the new manager’s tweaks, admitting that it ‘takes time’ to acclimatise to an altered formation.
“I’m feeling good, we’re assimilating his ideas. It takes time to adjust certain details, but we’re improving day by day,” Vieira said.
“I’m always looking to improve. We’ve been through some moments at the club that have affected the players and we’re getting over it and we promise that tomorrow we’ll be at our best.”
Vieira has already impressed in the deeper role, where he recorded an assist last time out in Porto’s league win over Farense.
Vieira surely has no future at Arsenal
While the consensus is that the midfielder is doing well at his former club, it’s understood that Arsenal are ready to part ways with Vieira once he returns in the summer.
Part of this comes as Arteta admitted he let Vieira leave to support Ethan Nwaneri, who at 17, has already eclipsed the Portuguese’s goal tally at Arsenal.
| Player | Apps | Goals | Assists |
| Fabio Vieira | 27 | 2 | 3 |
| Ethan Nwaneri | 24 | 7 | 1 |
That being said, Vieira’s recent change in role could be considered to bolster his chances of returning to the Emirates but, the summer has a different outcome planned for the Gunners.
As Arsenal are set to sign Martin Zubimendi, Arteta is ready to restock his central midfield with fresh talent rather than revisiting those already at the club.
Given the profile of player the manager wants in his midfield, Vieira’s chances of making his Arsenal career count are slim, with a permanent transfer surely on the cards.
For now, the 24-year-old will relish his new role at Porto, where he could be playing for his future as his next steps at Arsenal remain uncertain.
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