Footie Central | Football Blog Blogging the football world
Fabio Vieira could be loaned out by Arsenal next season.
He only joined the club from Porto in a £30 million move, but, although he has shown sporadic moments of why the Gunners paid that money for him, he has struggled to cope with the physicality of the Premier League.
And with Mikel Arteta looking to further strengthen his midfield options, Vieira could find himself a casualty and could find himself surplus to requirements, with his first team minutes likely to be severely limited.
It is recognised that, whilst it has been acceptable to give fringe players minutes in competitions like the Europa League, the fact that the Gunners will be back in the Champions League again next season means there is much less room for error.
A loan move could help him gain some confidence after a difficult few months in North London and would also help put him in the shop window if the Gunners decide subsequently to cash in on the player.
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.