Ligue 1 giants Monaco have reportedly touched base with Arsenal to enquire about a loan deal for Portuguese playmaker Fabio Vieira.
The 23-year-old arrived in North London in the summer of 2022 on the back of registering 14 assists in 27 Primeira Liga matches for Porto in his farewell campaign, the joint-most of any player in the division alongside Benfica's Rafa Silva.
Arsenal paid £30m to beat Manchester United to his signature, but Vieira has only been a rotational player during his time at the Emirates due to fierce competition for places.
The Portugal Under-21 international favours the number 10 role, but Martin Odegaard is Mikel Arteta's undisputed first-choice in the creative position, while Bukayo Saka is also one of the first names on the teamsheet on the right flank.
Vieira has sometimes occupied a deeper midfield role in Arteta's setup, but he is also behind Kai Havertz in the engine room pecking order, while Emile Smith Rowe is also vying for more minutes as he bids to consign his fitness woes to the past.
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As a result, Vieira has been restricted to just five Premier League starts over the past year-and-a-half, and he made just three substitute appearances in the group stage of this season's Champions League before suffering a serious groin injury.
The former Porto man has been in the treatment room since undergoing surgery at the end of November, and there is no timeframe on his recovery, but a comeback in February is not beyond the realm of possibility.
Despite Vieira's lengthy layoff and lack of starts, FootballTransfers claims that the midfielder has attracted interest from Monaco, who want to take him on loan for the remainder of the campaign.
The Gunners conducted business with their Principality counterparts over the summer, selling American striker Folarin Balogun to Les Monegasques for £25.7m following his breakthrough season with Reims.
Balogun has failed to recapture the prolific form which he displayed at the Stade Auguste-Delaune, but he boasts a respectable four goals and four assists in 15 Ligue 1 games for Monaco, who sit fourth in the Ligue 1 table.
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However, the report adds that another unnamed French club have emerged as suitors for Vieira, and Arsenal are open to departures before the January transfer window slams shut next Thursday.
Gunners chiefs still have high hopes for Vieira's future development though, so any transfer is expected to be a straight loan deal without any option or obligation to buy.
The former Porto man has come up with three goals and 10 assists in 46 senior matches for Arsenal since joining the club, scoring once and setting up four more in 13 matches in the 2023-24 season so far.
Vieira's most recent appearance in an Arsenal jersey was a forgettable one, though, as he was sent off just 24 minutes after coming off the bench in a 3-1 win over Burnley on November 11.
Ben Knapton
