Hamburg haven’t given up hope of signing Fabio Vieira on a permanent basis, but their attempts to negotiate Arsenal down from their asking price have so far fallen on deaf ears.
It’s understood the Gunners included a €20 million option-to-buy clause in the Portuguese midfielder’s season-long loan deal, a figure the Bundesliga club have baulked at.
Instead, they appear to be trying to strike a deal closer to half that amount, while still offering Vieira a competitive salary.
Speaking at a supporters’ meeting this week, comments relayed by*Hamburger Morgenpost* and translated by Sport Witness, board member Eric Huwer provided an update on the negotiations.
“Fabio is a fantastic player, and we feel like we’re fighting for him every single day. We’ve also backed up our interest with Arsenal with financial figures; the situation is well-known. But right now, no one’s flinching,” he said.
“We’re confident we can make Fábio a very competitive offer within our means, without taking on any debt.
“We’re naturally very curious to see whether he and Arsenal will accept it.
“We fell a little bit in love with Fabio last year, but we’re not going to be unreasonable. If Arsenal says yes, we’ll be happy to have Fábio; if they say no, we’ll be happy to have someone else.”
Vieira made 31 appearances for Hamburg last season – his second loan in a row after a return to boyhood club Porto – scoring seven goals and providing six assists as they comfortably retained their Bundesliga status following promotion.
Signed by Edu for €35 million in the summer of 2022, the midfielder has one year remaining on his Arsenal contract. Even if another club matches the reported €20 million valuation, the Gunners are facing a sizeable loss on the deal. Given his struggles to establish himself in north London, however, that may simply be the price of moving on.
For now, Vieira is back at London Colney taking part in pre-season training. He’s joined by fellow returnee Reiss Nelson, another player widely expected to leave permanently before the transfer window closes.
According to BBC Sport, the 26-year-old has turned down approaches from clubs in England as he prioritises a move abroad.
Benfica, now managed by Marco Silva, who worked with Nelson during his loan spell at Fulham in 2024/25, are one possible destination. Valencia are also said to be interested.
Nelson’s loan at Brentford never really got going. Injuries restricted him to just 339 minutes across 14 appearances, making this summer an important opportunity to get his career back on track. But we say that every year…