Fabio Vieira reveals why he decided to join Arsenal

Tuesday brought out the very best and worst of Arsenal supporters.

Impatience over an official announcement of a player that we already know has signed rapidly evolved into outright frustration, while the dedicated detective faction of the fanbase were at it again.

But this time supporters weren’t tracking flight paths, nor checking numberplates. No, this time it was some good old-fashioned code-breaking. The quickest of Gooners deciphered a pattern in the first letter of the tweets published by the club’s official account on Tuesday.

After teasing us further, Arsenal eventually announced the arrival of Fabio Vieira from Porto on a five-year deal. The Gunners could end up paying upwards of €40m for his services.

Fabio Vieira reveals why he decided to join Arsenal

The 22-year-old is one of Portugal’s hottest properties after he followed up his scintillating Euros campaign with his nation’s Under-21 side by registering the most assists in the Primeira Liga last season.

Vieira is, without question, a creative force and in his first interview with the club, he described himself as a “player who looks to find space between the lines to be able to finish off moves either with assists or by scoring goals.”

Vieira added six league goals to his impressive assists tally last season, with his ability to finish off both feet being a distinct feature of his game.

The midfielder labelled Arsenal as a “huge and historic club” and he said that playing at “one of the biggest clubs in the world” was an opportunity he simply couldn’t resist.

“Everyone knows that Arsenal are a fantastic team,” Vieira said. “That was one of the main factors behind me choosing Arsenal. I really like the way the team plays and I can’t wait to get started.”

Vieira has drawn comparisons to Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva, while the player himself believes he’s quite similar to Martin Odegaard, who enjoyed a superb season at the Emirates last time out.

Stylistically, Vieira is similar to those that supporters have fallen in love with down the years and he should fit seamlessly into Mikel Arteta’s system.

The new arrival name-checked the likes of Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Santi Cazorla and Cesc Fabregas when discussing the history of the club, adding that they “had so much presence on the pitch.” Despite his diminutive frame, Vieira boasts the technical proficiency to startle the home faithful just as those mentioned did every week during their respective spells in north London.

I, for one, cannot wait to see him in action.