Arsenal strongly consider loan move for forgotten man after receiving approach from Ligue 1 pair

Arsenal have been approached by two Ligue 1 clubs about the prospect of letting Fabio Vieira leave on loan for the second half of the season, a report has claimed.

Monaco are one of the clubs said to have enquired about Vieira, per Football Transfers, while the identity of his other suitors remains a mystery (although there were links with Marseille a couple of months ago, so make of that what you will).

Whoever they are, they will be hoping for an answer in the coming days before the January transfer window closes – and the report has indicated what the response might be.

It is claimed that Arsenal are weighing up what to do with Vieira and do see the merits of loaning him out. After all, he has only scored three goals from his first 46 appearances for the club.

In that time, he has also provided 10 assists, serving as a reminder of his potential and why Arsenal might not want to give up on him entirely.

But in order for him to recover the form he was displaying for Porto and ultimately fulfil his potential, he might benefit from more gametime elsewhere.

Monaco already took one player from Arsenal in the summer when they signed Folarin Balogun in a permanent transfer, so they may have got back in touch for Vieira.

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Vieira’s own stance on his future is not revealed in the report, but it wouldn’t be held against him if he was having questions after only starting two Premier League matches this season before requiring groin surgery.

As a central attacking midfielder, there is the not so insignificant obstacle of club captain Martin Odegaard being ahead of Vieira in the pecking order at Arsenal.

Furthermore, they invested heavily to sign Kai Havertz from Chelsea in a controversial move in the summer and have used him in a similar territory.

There is also Emile Smith Rowe, who has similarly been linked with a new challenge elsewhere but seems insistent on fighting for his place at the Emirates Stadium instead.

Vieira might need loan spell

While the level Arsenal are competing at requires them to have a deep squad, there might not be enough room for Vieira to thrive as he needs to.

At the age of 23, Vieira should be starting to develop his potential, not regress. After all, this is a player who scored 10 goals and provided 18 assists in 76 appearances for Porto.

And at international level, he expressed his potential by scoring 14 goals in 25 caps for Portugal’s under-21 team.

There are other players of a similar or lower age who have managed to have a better input into the Arsenal team, but Vieira is young enough that he still has time on his side to mature as a player.

A contract in north London until 2027 may also play into his hands, reducing the pressure on Arsenal if they decide they do want to send him out on loan.

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