Fabio Vieira admits Arsenal period was ‘difficult’ period in his career

Arsenal star Fabio Vieira has described his time in north London as “difficult” after securing a return to FC Porto, with the Gunners set to decide the midfielder’s future in 2025.

The Portuguese star arrived at the Emirates Stadium in the summer of 2022 as part of a £34million deal with Porto. Despite high expectations for the midfielder, he has failed to secure a regular place in Mikel Arteta’s team.

Vieira has made 49 appearances for the north London club so far and Arsenal decided it would be best to send the 24-year-old out on loan for the current season so he could gain more experience and progress at the Premier League club.

The former Porto star has returned to the Portuguese giants, but there is no purchase option clause in his loan deal, reports Fabrizio Romano. The transfer journalist claims that Arsenal want to assess the 24-year-old’s situation in 2025, which is why there is no purchase option included.

The current season is important for Vieira to impress Arteta, with the midfielder playing just 561 minutes last season, despite missing a large portion of the campaign with a groin injury.

Vieira has now spoken candidly about his time at the Premier League club, admitting it was a “difficult period” during his short career.

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Fabio Vieira opens up about his time at Arsenal

In conversation with the Portuguese sports newspaper Oh JogoVieira has described his time at Arsenal as “difficult” and is looking forward to developing his game further at Porto this season.

“The idea to come back came from me. I love this club and I’m going to give everything on the pitch,” the midfielder said, via The Standard. “I’m happy, of course, it’s my home. I’m looking forward to being in the stadium, playing in front of these fans and doing the best I can for this club this season.