Forgotten £34m Arsenal star now given one final chance to impress Mikel Arteta

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Fabio Vieira is on the verge of making a return to action for Arsenal.

Arsenal midfielder Fabio Vieira has been sidelined since early December with a groin issue which required surgery.

In all honesty, the Portuguese playmaker has not been greatly missed on the pitch in his absence. The 23-year-old has failed to establish himself as a regular starter for Arsenal since his £34 million arrival at the Emirates Stadium in the summer 2022.

Considering how heavily the Gunners invested in Vieira, Mikel Arteta will have been hoping to see more from the former Porto man by now. Perhaps, a clash with his previous employers will inspire more from the midfielder. 

Vieira is expected to be fit to play when Arsenal take on Porto in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 knockout clash on Wednesday. 

If he does enjoy any level on involvement in that match, Vieira will be desperate to show everyone what he is capable of. He certainly needs to start impressing in north London on a consistent basis quickly.

Fabio Vieira must take Champions League chance to start fight for his Arsenal life

Vieira’s current contract runs until 2027, as per Spotrac, so there is certainly no pressure on the Gunners to move him on. However, if the player can’t show signs of improvement between now and the end of the season, it is hard to see him featuring significantly in Arteta’s plans for the campaign to come. 

Arsenal will be able to fetch a bigger fee for Vieira this summer than if they wait until he only has two years left on his existing deal. That may encourage them to try to cash-in this summer. In that sense, Vieira may well be in his last chance saloon stage at Arsenal at this time. 

Beginning against Porto in the Champions League next week, Vieira needs to start showing that he is up for the fight to save his Arsenal career.

There is no doubting the player’s natural talent, and he has shown flashes of real quality whilst wearing red and white. Earlier this season, in cameos off the bench against Manchester United and Fulham, he provided eye-catching assists.

In general, though, he has shown a propensity to go missing and get bypassed in matches. He has had time now to adjust to life at Arsenal and intensity of the Premier League, and he needs to start playing like he belongs at that level.