Arsenal star Fabio Vieira has been linked with a potential recall from his loan spell at Porto following an impressive first half of the season with the club.
The playmaker had joined the Gunners from the Portuguese side back in 2022, signing for a fee worth roughly £34million.
There was plenty of hope that Fabio Vieira would provide a backup option to Martin Odegaard, though he never quite made an impact.
With chances at a premium, Arsenal decided to loan him back to his old club Porto in search of more minutes.
While the Gunners could’ve done with him during rocky injury troubles, he has managed to pick up some form at Porto – which has led to questions over a potential recall.
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Can Arsenal recall Fabio Vieira from Porto loan?
It’s currently unclear whether Arsenal are able to trigger a recall for Vieira when the January transfer window rolls around.
So far this season, the 24-year-old has managed 17 appearances across all competitions since going out on loan.
Two goals and two assists have followed for Vieira, who is still looking to get back to his best form in Portugal.
Whether that, plus some injuries, could prompt Arsenal into a recall remains uncertain at this moment.
Why Fabio Vieira was missing for Porto’s last match
With rumours circulating over a possible return for Vieira, suspicions were only raised further when he was missing for Porto’s clash with Boavista.
Vitor Bruno – Porto head coach – was quizzed on his absence and responded: “I have to make decisions, pay close attention to the players’ performance and how they view their day-to-day activities.
“Fabio is very talented but talent has to be based on a series of pre-conditions. And when one or two of them end up falling apart, it makes everything more difficult.
“He has immense potential and I have a large squad that offers me guarantees, I cannot give up on certain principles that are mine.
“I don’t need to pass on any message. Fabio knows me well and we are counting on him. He will be available to play again next week. So it is a question of making decisions.”
It suggests that there isn’t an imminent recall in place for Vieira, but rather a question or a challenge surrounding other issues.
Whether he does play again in Porto’s next match remains to be seen though.
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