Manager responds to Arsenal links with ‘very talented’ midfielder

Porto manager Vitor Bruno has provided an update on Fabio Vieira‘s situation amid suggestions that Arsenal could recall him in January.

The Portuguese midfielder returned to his former club Porto on loan in the summer after failing to consistently nail down a place in Mikel Arteta’s well-stocked side.

Vieira was unhappy about his role as just a rotational player and it was decided that a loan move away was the best course of action as Arsenal were unwilling to sell.

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Arteta still rates the 24-year-old highly and made sure that his exit was just a temporary one, with Porto not managing to secure a purchase option as part of the deal.

After an early injury kept him sidelined, Vieira became a regular starter in recent weeks but he was surprisingly omitted from the matchday squad against city rivals Boavista on Saturday.

Vieira not up to required standard

Speaking after securing a 4-0 derby win, Porto boss Vitor Bruno was critical of Vieira, claiming that standards had slackened, but he dismissed suggestions of a rift or that the player could be recalled by Arsenal in January.

“I have to make decisions, look at the players’ performance and how they view their day-to-day activities. Fabio is very talented, but talent has to be based on a series of principles and when one or the other ends up falling apart, it ends up becoming more difficult.

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“I have a large squad that offers me guarantees and even if it didn’t, I can’t give up on certain principles that are mine. Message for the player? No, no. I don’t need to send any messages.

“Fabio knows me well. We’re counting on him. He’ll be available to play again next week. After that, it’ll be a matter of decisions.”