DONE DEAL: Arsenal midfielder Fábio Vieira to leave the club to FC Porto this summer

An Arsenal star is almost done with an amazing summer move away from North London, which will happen this Tuesday.

Arsenal defender Fábio Vieira is almost ready to return to FC Porto on loan for the rest of the season. The deal should be finalized by Tuesday. Vieira, who has had trouble getting into Mikel Arteta’s starting group, is going back to the club where he made his name before moving to North London in 2022.

It is said that the deal between Arsenal and Porto is now official, with the Portuguese club willing to pay Vieira’s full salary while he is on loan. Arsenal was originally thinking about having to pay some of the 24-year-old’s salary, so this deal is a big win for them. To their credit, the Gunners were able to negotiate better terms, which eased their financial burden and gave Vieira important playing time back in his home country.

Since there is no chance to buy in the loan deal, Vieira will likely go back to Arsenal at the end of the season. Through a short-term loan deal, Vieira helps Porto fill the void left by the departure of Francisco Conceição, who is set to join Juventus.

Vieira joined Arsenal for €35 million in 2022, but he hasn’t been able to regularly help the team. In 49 games across all competitions, he has scored three goals and set up nine others. The creative midfielder has had trouble breaking into Arsenal’s crowded middle, often playing a secondary part, even though he has shown signs of promise.

Because Arteta likes more experienced players in his team, Vieira hasn’t had many chances to play, so he decided to look for more regular playing time elsewhere. The fact that Vieira is back is a big plus for Porto.

The 24-year-old had a successful time at the club before. Between 2020 and 2022, he played 76 times and scored 10 goals and set up 18 others. During that time, he was an important part of Porto’s center and helped them win two league titles.

Vieira can now get back to playing his best in a place he knows well, and he is expected to be very important for Porto as they try to win local titles. The last steps in Vieira’s return to Porto should be finished soon, and the player will be ready to leave London as soon as the clubs give the go-ahead.

This is a good development for everyone: Arsenal gets rid of some pay obligations while keeping Vieira in their long-term plans, and Porto gets a player who knows how to play in their system to strengthen their team.

It also fits with Arsenal’s overall plan to keep their finances in check while managing the depth of their squad and the growth of their players. Arsenal won’t get a loan fee for Vieira’s short-term departure, but the deal helps them keep their pay bill low while they focus on their season-long goals.