Fabio Vieira and Graham Potter in the circle
Credit: Imago
Henry Green
Mon 1 September 2025 11:00, UK
Graham Potter had been hoping to entice Arsenal’s Fabio Vieira to the London Stadium.
Vieira has seen his gametime with the Gunners dwindle over the past two seasons and was sent out on loan to Porto last season.
West Ham explored a deal for Vieira, but signed fellow Portugal international Mateus Fernandes for £40million from Southampton instead.
With deadline day gaining speed, the Arsenal midfielder has now found himself a new home.
Mateus Fernandes
Mateus Fernandes looks set for a move away from Southampton this summer (image: Imago)
Fabio Vieira set to sign for Hamburg on loan
Fernandes looked good in his West Ham debut as the Hammers beat Nottingham Forest 3-0.
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Potter could still sign a midfielder on deadline day, with Hayden Hackney repeatedly linked with a move this summer.
However, that midfielder won’t be Vieira, as he closes in on a move to German side Hamburg.
According to Florian Plettenberg on X, there is a full agreement between Arsenal and Hamburg for the 25-year-old.
The attacking midfielder will arrive in Germany to undergo his medical in a loan deal, with an option to buy worth more than £17million.
West Ham have so far prioritised the signing of a defender on deadline day, with Nayef Aguerd joining Marseille.
Manchester City’s Manuel Akanji has been linked with the Hammers, with Pep Guardiola keen to offload the Switzerland international.
However, once a deal is all tied up, attention could turn to signing a midfielder.
West Ham could run out of time to sign a midfielder
West Ham got the better end of the deal by signing a young and hungry Fernandes instead of Vieira.
However, the 21-year-old and fellow new signing Soungoutou Magassa don’t offer enough cover in midfield.
Vieira’s strengths:
Passing: Excellent passer, especially into dangerous areas, which could transform the Hammers
Shooting: Offers a long-range goal threat, which Potter does not have right now
Movement: Elusive on the ball, with clever movement and can draw fouls easily
Weaknesses:
Lightweight: Lack of physical strength could be an issue
Duel success: Struggles to win duels against more physical players
Consistency: Has not strung a consistent run of top-quality games together in the Premier League
Guido Rodriguez and James Ward-Prowse don’t offer much in midfield, and the Hammers may have left it too late to find alternatives.
Their focus on signing a defender could cloud their judgment on signing players in the middle of the park, and they would run out of time.
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