Monaco 'make contact over loan deal for Arsenal's Fabio Vieira'
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.
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
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