Arsenal loanee Fabio Vieira scored a crucial goal for Hamburg in the Bundesliga at the weekend.
His delightful finish helped the German club pick up a crucial 1-1 draw against Koln, as they stayed nine points clear of the drop. A failure to win would’ve cut the gap between them and Koln to only two points.
It was Vieira’s fifth goal of the Bundesliga campaign, with the Portuguese midfielder having also assisted four times so far.
Earlier this month, Sport Witness covered claims from BILD about Hamburg’s intentions to seek a discount from Arsenal over a permanent deal.
They have an option to buy the midfielder for €20m, which is too high for them.
While Hamburg are convinced about the player, they need a lower fee to go ahead.
Arsenal player doesn’t give too much away
Today’s Sachsische Zeitung takes a close look at the 25-year-old, whose goal against Koln is seen as a ‘job application’ regarding a permanent transfer.
While that is an optimistic take, the outlet also highlight some comments from the Arsenal player after the game.
Vieira highlighted how he is enjoying his time in Germany: “It was a great goal. I knew it was a big step for me to come here and rediscover my true potential.”
When asked about his future, the versatile midfielder referred to his Arsenal contract.
“Everyone knows I still have a contract with Arsenal. So let’s wait until the end of the season. Then we’ll talk about it and see what we can do.”
Our take on Vieira’s Arsenal future.
The ex-Porto player’s comments suggest he isn’t distracted by the noise around his future. He is purely focused on making the most of the opportunity at Hamburg.
By now, it is clear that Vieira doesn’t have a future at Arsenal.
This is his second consecutive loan spell away from London, where he wasn’t always a regular. But at Hamburg and Porto, his qualities have been clear to see.
On his return to Portugal last season, he scored four times and assisted as many times. In Germany, he has only got better.
Considering the €20m option to buy, Arsenal’s aim is to earn as much as they can from his sale. Whether Hamburg can compete with others in the summer is questionable.