Emile Smith Rowe believes new Arsenal signing Fabio Vieira is similar to Manchester City star Bernardo Silva.
The Gunners confirmed the signing of highly-rated Portuguese midfielder Vieira from FC Porto for a reported fee of £30million plus add-ons. His arrival comes in a busy summer transfer window for the club following on from the additions of Sao Paulo teenager Marquinhos, striker Gabriel Jesus from Manchester City and US goalkeeper Matt Turner.
The arrival of Vieira was done at the behest of boss Mikel Arteta, with the Gunners boss keen to add another creative talent to his squad at the Emirates. The 22-year-old midfielder registered 14 direct goal assists last season despite having started just 15 matches in Primeira Liga.
A graduate of the Porto academy, Vieira more than played his part last term as his boyhood club won a league and cup double under the stewardship of Sérgio Conceição. There was a release clause inserted into Vieira's contract, but Arsenal negotiated a lower fee and managed to get their man at a cut-price fee.
Arteta's hunt for players to bolster his midfield options has been well-documented and he was said to be a key driving force behind the deal to land the former Portugal Under-21 star, who will compete for a starting spot alongside the likes of Smith Rowe and Martin Odegaard.
Smith Rowe has now spoken of the player's impact in an interview with the Evening Standard, comparing him to Man City maestro Bernardo Silva: "He's very similar [to Silva]. He's a very good passer of the ball, his left foot is very good and he likes to create goals and score them himself.
Have Your Say! How would you rate Arsenal’s transfer window out of 10 so far? Tell us what you think here.
"I've already played against him at international level, so I can't speak highly enough of him, and the fans should be really excited. At the Euro Under-21s, they [Portugal] beat us 2-0 and he was unbelievable in that game."
Arsenal are now blessed with depth in the creative midfield department with Vieira, Smith Rowe and Odegaard all occupying similar preferred positions with all three in a similar age bracket, as is Bukayo Saka – another forward-thinking star on their books.
Gunners fans will be hoping their new Portuguese addition can fulfil his early promise and reach a similar level to Silva, who has helped Manchester City to four Premier League title victories since joining the club in 2017 from Monaco.
