Arsenal reach agreement for midfield star's departure following Mikel Merino's arrival

Fabio Vieira will return to Porto on a season-long loan deal after Arsenal decided he was no longer needed under Mikel Arteta.

Vieira, 24, joined the Gunners from the Portuguese giants in a £35million deal in the summer of 2022.

After 22 appearances for the club in his debut campaign, first-team opportunities dried up last season where he started just two matches despite returning from groin surgery in February.

With Mikel Merino poised to arrive from Real Sociedad and talented teenager Ethan Nwaneri also pushing for more minutes this season, Arsenal have decided to let Vieira leave in order to secure more first-team football, The Athletic report.

The midfielder will not be part of the squad heading to Aston Villa for Saturday’s evening kick-off with Porto working to finalise the deal.

Arsenal are also expected to sanction Eddie Nketiah’s move away from north London.

The striker has agreed personal terms over a move to Nottingham Forest with a deal of around £30million agreed.

The 25-year-old made his senior Arsenal debut in 2017 with a brief spell on loan at Leeds United during the 2019-20 season.

He scored six goals in 37 appearances – just 13 of those starts – last season but played a peripheral role in the club’s title challenge, not starting a league match after a 2-1 defeat to Fulham in December.

Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus were Mikel Arteta’s preferred options up top for much of last campaign with the German leading the line in last week’s new season opener against Wolves.

He and Vieira will follow Emile Smith Rowe out of the club with the attacking midfielder joining Fulham in a deal that could rise to £34m.

‘When I had the talk with Emile, I really felt it,’ Arteta said of the decision to allow Smith Rowe to leave.

‘First of all because I have huge gratitude because he came into the team at a tough moment. I think he was the player that made our supporters and the team click, in a way. I don’t know how to explain it but that was my feeling. Something changed when he came in the team. He created a different energy straight away.

‘Obviously a lot of things happened in that time. From my side it was really sad, because I know how those boys feel when they are in that building, how hard everyone works to get them close to the first team, so I feel a huge responsibility to give them the chance. And now, can they sustain this level and make us better? That is the idea.’