Arsenal CONFIRM signing of £34m Fabio Vieira from Porto as Arteta hails ‘special talent’ and squad number is revealed
ARSENAL have confirmed the signing of highly-rated Portuguese midfielder Fabio Vieira.
The 22-year-old leaves Porto in a £34million transfer having made 54 appearances for the club.
Midfielder Vieira had a standout league campaign last term, making 27 appearances, scoring six goals and making 14 assists.
Vieira also has an strong record on the international front for Portugal’s Under-21s.
He has scored an impressive 13 goals from his 21 appearances and has promised goals in north London.
The Portuguese said: “I’m an attacking player who looks to find space between the lines to be able to finish off moves either with assists or by scoring goals.
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“I think those are the main attributes that Arsenal fans can expect from me.
“This is an important step forward in my career. Arsenal is a huge and historic club.
“It’s one of the biggest clubs in the world. Everyone knows that Arsenal are a fantastic team.
“I know some very famous players have played here. Some big stars, global legends of the game, such as Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry, Santi Cazorla and Cesc Fabregas. I remember them well.
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“They were players who had so much presence on the pitch. That was one of the main factors behind me choosing Arsenal. I’m delighted to be here at my new home.”
On the new Gunners signing Vieira, Technical Director Edu said: “We’re so pleased to have completed the signing of Fabio from FC Porto.
“Fabio is a player with special qualities who is comfortable with the ball in the final third of the pitch.
“We are all looking forward to working with him and enjoying his future contribution to Arsenal.
“We will now continue to work hard and are looking forward to finishing this transfer window as strongly possible.”
Boss Mikel Arteta is a big fan of Vieira’s playmaking ability and has hailed him as a “special talent”.
Arteta added: ”I am very excited that we have identified and signed such a special talent.
“Fabio is a very creative player that will bring high quality and versatility to our attacking play.
“We welcome Fabio and his family to our club and are looking forward to starting work with him ahead of the new season.”
Vieira will wear the No21 shirt and will soon join his new team-mates for pre-season training.