3 reasons why Arsenal fans should be excited about Fabio Vieira’s arrival

3. High-quality depth

For some, Martin Odegaard was Arsenal’s Player of the Season after his move from Real Madrid was made permanent last summer. The Norwegian skipper emerged as one of the Premier League’s most proficient creators, but there’s no denying that he burned out towards the end of the campaign.

While he finished the season on a high with a starring performance against Everton, Odegaard had previously looked lost in the defeats to Crystal Palace, Tottenham and Newcastle that undermined Arsenal’s pursuit of a top-four finish.

However, such anonymity can be expected from time to time when he was relied so heavily upon by the manager. Only Bukayo Saka (38) made more Premier League appearances than Odegaard last season (36). Mikel Arteta simply didn’t trust anyone else to perform the Norwegian’s role to his lofty standard last season. But, in Fabio Vieira, the manager now has more than ample cover.

As we noted, the 22-year-old can perform multiple functions, but I initially expect him to compete with Odegaard for his spot in the starting XI. The Porto midfielder will surely earn regular minutes in the Europa League group stages and the domestic cup competitions early on, handing Odegaard some much-needed respite.

Fabio Vieira is a talent that Arteta will rely upon to perform several roles to a high standard. He’s the epitome of high-quality depth at this stage, but he has the potential to evolve into a star at the Emirates.