Arsenal 'approached' by Bundesliga club over Fabio Vieira as Andrea Berta seeks 'respectable' transfer fee

Arsenal have been approached by Bundesliga outfit Stuttgart over a permanent deal for Fabio Vieira, according to a report.

The former Portugal youth international is back at London Colney following a loan spell with former club Porto, whom he represented in the recent Club World Cup after a mixed 2024-25 season.

Vieira managed four goals and four assists in 26 Primeira Liga appearances for the Dragons last term, but he was not selected for Arsenal's pre-season tour of Asia following his exploits in the United States.

The midfielder's contract in North London runs for another two years, but he is not expected to reignite his career at Arsenal, who should entertain offers for a permanent sale in the coming weeks.

West Ham United are believed to have added Vieira to their summer shortlist, as the Irons have lost Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham Hotspur and may also be willing to sell Lucas Paqueta before the September 1 deadline.

Arsenal in 'ongoing talks' with Stuttgart for Vieira

The Hammers will face stiff competition for the 25-year-old, though, as The Athletic reports that Stuttgart are now in talks with Arsenal over a permanent deal after making an approach to the Gunners.

The report adds that the two clubs are yet to reach an agreement, but negotiations are ongoing, and Arsenal are expected to demand a 'respectable' fee to let the former Porto starlet leave the club.

The Gunners agreed to shell out up to €40m (£34.8m) for Vieira in 2022, and they have already paid Porto a total of €35m (£30.5m) for the midfielder, who has made just 49 appearances for Mikel Arteta's side since.

Vieira has scored three goals and provided 10 assists for Arsenal in that time, and he has started just five matches in the Premier League, making a further 28 substitute appearances in the top flight.

Where has it gone wrong for Vieira at Arsenal?

Few people knew about Vieira's move to Arsenal until the deal had actually been agreed, and the 25-year-old joined the Gunners after registering a league-high 14 assists in the 2021-22 Primeira Liga season.

Vieira would seemingly be the perfect understudy for Martin Odegaard, especially if a cracking goal against Brentford in September 2022 was anything to go by, but the excellence of the Norwegian and Bukayo Saka meant that he was only a peripheral player in his first season.

There were also well-founded concerns about the playmaker's physicality, as he arrived in England with a noticeably slight frame, and events of late 2023 and early 2024 hammered two massive nails into his Arsenal coffin.

Vieira was memorably sent off against Burnley before undergoing a groin operation, which kept him out for three months, and there was no chance of the Portuguese displacing Saka or Odegaard from thereon in.

While Arsenal are crying out for more creativity, selling Vieira could raise crucial funds for an Eberechi Eze, and a permanent parting of the ways is undoubtedly best for all concerned.