Arsenal and Hamburg are putting the finishing touches on a loan move for attacker Fabio Vieira. The two clubs are also closing in on a permanent transfer of Sambi Lokonga
. That’s one way to save on your phone bill, I suppose. They’ll probably save on airfare, too — I’d guess Sambi and Fabio will jump on the same plane to Germany. Both are moves that needed to happen but don’t really move the needle for Arsenal.The Vieira loan contains an option to buy for £17M, but according to Arseblog writer and
Bundesliga-knower Lewis Ambrose, it’s highly unlikely they activate the option. It would be a club-record purchase price and they aren’t likely to splash the cash. From where I sit, they’d have to stay in the Bundesliga AND Vieira would need to have a magnificent season helping them to safety for a permanent move to even be close to on the cards.
The Portuguese attacker is supremely talented on the ball but, like Sambi Lokonga, has struggled a bit with fitness. It feels like every time he started to establish a rhythm at Arsenal, he got hurt, missed time, and lost his place in the rotation. He spent last season on-loan to his boyhood club Porto and had an alright but unremarkable season. He scored five goals and added six assists in 42 appearances in all competitions.
The 25-year-old attacker will bring much-needed creativity to a Hamburg side that is thin on technical quality and attacking pop. Along with Lokonga, Vieira adds significant on-ball skill to a lineup that desperately needs players who can do good things in possession.
He has two years remaining on his Arsenal contract, so the Gunners will, once again, need to figure something out for him next summer. It seems like the ship has sailed on him making an impact in North London, but I suppose if he were to have a tremendously good season in Germany that might change. It’s much more likely he’s sold next summer. Let’s hope he has a strong year and pushes his price tag up.
