Arsenal are remodelling their squad, with one midfielder getting closer to an exit.
Manager Mikel Arteta and sporting director Andrea Berta are in the midst of an overhaul of the team, with the midfield in particular an interesting talking point, as Arsenal look close to completing deals for Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard.
With significant outlay likely over the coming weeks, the Gunners are hoping to recoup as much as they can with sales – with a major outgoing probable.
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Arsenal to offload a midfielder in the coming weeks
Recently, The Athletic’s hugely reliable transfer expert David Ornstein relayed information that Arsenal were pursuing Ebere Eze – recognised in FourFourTwo’s list of the best attacking midfielders in the world – in addition to another striker and a winger.
Bringing in another playmaker would surely facilitate a major sale, with the likes of Leandro Trossard’s future still uncertain, and now, reports from Italy claim that transfer interest is ramping up for squad players at London Colney.
Tuttomercatoweb are reporting that Portuguese no.10 Fabio Vieira is wanted by former Gunners, Patrick Vieira and Cesc Fabregas, who manage Genoa and Como respectively in Serie A.
The 25-year-old was included in Porto’s squad for the Club World Cup, but it was rumoured that Arsenal would be interested in reintegrating him into their squad this summer, given that the Primeira Liga outfit have no buy clause to sign Vieira permanently.
Speaking to Vieira at the tournament, however, FourFourTwo’s Zach Lowy received a curt reply when he asked about the future in North London, with Vieira frostily responding, “I don’t think it’s ideal to speak about these topics.”
FourFourTwo understands that as a player at his prime age, coming off the back of a good second half of the season, Vieira is one of the highest-value commodities in the Gunners’ squad and may well be sacrificed to make way for the potential signing of Eze.
Albert Sambi Lokonga and Reiss Nelson – two other players who were on loan last season, with Sevilla and Fulham, respectively – are named in the report as other options for Genoa and Como, but both have had clearer futures following dwindling opportunities in Arteta’s first team.
Vieira, however, was in preseason with Arsenal last summer, with a dry loan back to Porto coming later in the transfer window, and some fans expecting the move purely as a kickstarter for his career in the Premier League, where he has suffered a number of injuries hampering his development.
The emergence of Ethan Nwaneri as a serious option in the centre of midfield, along with Arsenal’s reliance on captain Martin Odegaard, has relegated Vieira to a third-choice for Arteta in that right-hand no.8 position, while Eze’s arrival could see Vieira become surplus to requirements, despite his clear potential.
The Portuguese is valued at €22 million by Transfermarkt.
