Over his first season with the Gunners, the midfielder managed 33 appearances, but combined they totalled to less than 1500 minutes.
Then his second season brought worse. Groin surgery and managerial preferences for others reduced his game time even further and it was clear this summer that a decision had to be made regarding the 24-year-old.
Speaking to the Portuguese media, Vieira has said he made that decision himself, chasing a return move to FC Porto where he’d come through the ranks and made a name for himself.
Friday’s edition of O Jogo quotes the Arsenal owned player as saying: “The idea of returning came from me. I love this club and I’m going to give everything on the pitch.”
The Portuguese newspaper explain Vieira feels he’s in the best place to ‘rehabilitate his career’ after repeated setbacks in English football.
O Jogo quote him as saying: “I’m happy, obviously, it’s my home. I’m looking forward to being at the stadium, playing in front of these fans and doing the best I can for this club this season. It was a chance that, above all, came to me because it was something I already wanted: to play. I had a difficult time in England, an operation, and at this moment I felt that FC Porto was a good opportunity to continue growing and developing. I felt that this was the right place to do it this season.”
There’s no purchase option for Porto in the loan deal and they probably wouldn’t be able to finance a permanent transfer anyway, so Fabio Vieira will be heading back to Arsenal next summer.
The Gunners will be hoping he does very well, so that he can either be an option for Mikel Arteta or provide a chance to recoup some of the earlier investment.
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