‘I hope he succeeds’ Bruno Fernandes runs the rule over new Arsenal signing Fabio Vieira

Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes has backed Fabio Vieira to succeed at Arsenal after he made the switch from Porto to north London this summer.

22-year-old Vieira joined the Gunners in a deal worth £35m in June, becoming the second signing of their summer in the process.

Bem-vindo, Fabio ❤️

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) June 21, 2022

And, speaking to reporters in Portugal, Manchester United’s Fernandes has backed his compatriot for success, though with the caveat that he doesn’t perform against Manchester United.

“I welcome all Portuguese players who go abroad, I hope he can shine to the fullest, except against me”, he joked.

“Fábio has a lot of quality and has been demonstrating that, whether in the FC Porto is in the Under-21s, he has had good numbers and good performances”, he added.

“I hope he succeeds like all the Portuguese out there. We have to start valuing what is ours and I hope that Fábio manages to be as good as possible, despite of wanting to stay ahead.”

Where will Vieira play?

Fabio Vieira has traditionally operated as a no.10 for Porto during his short stint in his home country, but Arsenal already have Martin Odegaard operating in that position.

As a result, he might be used as a wide forward, on either flank, or even as a no.8 should Mikel Arteta opt for a 4-3-3 as opposed to the 4-2-3-1 that he has typically used since Mikel Arteta took over in north London.

Vieira may need some time to get up to speed with Premier League football following his arrival from Portugal, and could be deployed more in the Europa League than the English top flight to begin with, but by all accounts Arsenal have uncovered a gem.

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