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Arsenal in talks to complete third summer transfer

26 May 2026 14:08 BST | 4 min read

Mikel Arteta, Arsenal

Cameron Smith

Cameron Smith | Digital Content Producer

Accredited sports journalist covering football since 2020

Arsenal are reportedly locked in talks with Hamburg as the Bundesliga club look to sign Fabio Vieira on a permanent transfer this summer following his loan spell last season.

The 25-year-old, who joined Arsenal from FC Porto back in 2022, moved to Hamburg on a temporary deal in September and he enjoyed an excellent season in Germany, scoring seven goals and providing six assists in 31 games across all competitions as they finished 13th in the Bundesliga table.

A €22 million option-to-buy clause was included in Vieira’s loan deal, but Hamburg are unable to afford this fee and they are keen to persuade Arsenal to lower the financial requirements needed to finalise a transfer when the summer window opens.

This has been confirmed by Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, who posted on X" href="https://x.com/Plettigoal/status/2059184147105493482" target="_blank">X: “Hamburger SV are doing everything behind the scenes to keep Fabio Vieira. Talks with Arsenal have started.

“In personal talks, HSV recently made it clear to Vieira that they want to build the team around him. Vieira is open to staying. It now depends on HSV reaching an agreement with Arsenal.”

Rumours have indicated that Hamburg want to pay roughly €10m for Vieira this summer and it remains to be seen if Arsenal will accept such a deal, with his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) currently at over €16m.

Fabio Vieira spent the 2025-26 season on loan at Hamburg

Fabio Vieira responds to transfer speculation

Vieira himself has confirmed that he is willing to return to Hamburg, although a return to the club will rely on reaching an agreement with Arsenal on a transfer fee.

When asked about a permanent transfer to Hamburg earlier this month, the 25-year-old admitted" href="https://www.footballtransfers.com/en/transfer-news/uk-premier-league/2026/05/arsenal-transfer-news-fabio-vieira-hamburg-loan-permanent-deal-summer-2026" target="_blank">the 25-year-old admitted: “I have to be open to everything. Let's see what happens.

“No matter what the future brings, I was very happy here and will be forever grateful to the HSV. The club did everything for me, the support was amazing. I feel the love of the fans and the club. They all love me.”

Arsenal have already officially announced the sales of Jakub Kiwior to Porto and Karl Hein to Werder Bremen, and Vieira could therefore become the club’s third transfer of the summer if an agreement is reached with Hamburg shortly.