Image credit: Getty Images
Newly promoted Bundesliga side Hamburger SV have pulled off a major coup on transfer deadline day, landing Arsenal midfielders Fabio Vieira and Albert Sambi Lokonga, according to reports from Sky Germany.
Portuguese playmaker Vieira joins HSV on a season-long loan with an option to buy worth more than €20 million. The 25-year-old, who signed for Arsenal from FC Porto in 2022 for €35 million, struggled to secure a regular role under Mikel Arteta.
After a loan spell back at Porto last season, he is now undergoing medical checks in Hamburg ahead of the move’s completion before the German transfer window shuts at 7:00 p.m. CET.
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HSV see Vieira as the creative force they have been missing in midfield, with head coach Merlin Polzin eager to deploy him as a dynamic No. 8. The club fended off interest from West Ham United and VfB Stuttgart to secure his signature, underlining their ambition for the 2025/26 campaign.
Arsenal stars Fabio Vieira and Albert Sambi Lokonga
Fabio Vieira and Albert Sambi Lokonga are set to join Hamburg today (Image credit: Getty Images)
Belgian midfielderLokonga, meanwhile, has sealed a permanent switch from Arsenal after passing his medical. The 25-year-old, who joined the Gunners from Anderlecht in 2021 for €17.5 million, departs with a year left on his contract. Arsenal are understood to have included a significant sell-on clause in the deal.
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Lokonga has endured a series of loan spells at Crystal Palace, Luton Town, and Sevilla in recent seasons, amassing 51 Premier League appearances but failing to establish himself in Arteta’s plans. He now seeks a fresh start in Germany, having previously expressed his desire for stability and consistent playing time.
The double deal comes after HSV also secured Tottenham Hotspur’s Luka Vuskovic on loan earlier in the window, further strengthening their squad for life back in the Bundesliga. With Vieira’s creativity and Lokonga’s versatility, Hamburg have signaled their determination not just to survive but to compete at the top level.
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