Emile Smith Rowe completed what was very much a season of two halves last time out, with the Arsenal academy graduate starting in stellar fashion before tailing off at the turn of the year.
The playmaker sent a message to the Gunners fanbase that he was ready to be the main-man with his shirt number selection before a ball had been kicked last summer. After penning a new long-term deal with the club, Smith Rowe asked manager Mikel Arteta if he could don the number 10 shirt.
A shirt previously worn by club icons like Paul Merson, Dennis Bergkamp and Mesut Ozil - Smith Rowe was choosing to take on quite the responsibility. With that number comes huge expectations, something Arteta made clear at the time.
"An incredible season for a number 10 of Arsenal means he needs to score 15 goals and give 10 assists," the Spaniard explained. "Then you are right up there with the top guys in Europe and in the league. He's [Smith Rowe] got the ability to do it but he hasn't done it.
Though his ability, as Arteta mentions, is undeniable - Smith Rowe failed to achieve that return. He ended the campaign with 11 goals and a feeble two assists in all competitions. As a result, there may be a direct link between the England international's struggles and Arsenal's latest addition.
FC Porto star Fabio Vieira is on the verge of completing a £30million deal to sign for the Gunners on a five-year contract in a switch that took many fans and pundits alike by surprise. The Under-21 Portugal international was not a name regularly being linked with Arsenal prior to the news breaking.
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What Smith Rowe's game lacked last season - assists, is something Vieira produced last term in abundance. The left-footed attacking midfielder was Liga Nos' most prolific playmaker last term with a stunning 14 league assists to go with his six goals.
Blessed with supreme technical ability, Vieira's Portugal U-21 boss Rui Jorge discussed the player's strengths and weaknesses last year. "He is a very technically advanced player, he is good at defining, but he needs to improve some aspects of his game in order to become a full-fledged player," he claimed, football.london.
"He knows this and will work on these aspects. Fabio has a great future if he sees fit. I think he wants to be the player he can be. I believe that we can meet a great player."
Vieira's presence will by no means block Smith Rowe's development, there are enough contrasts in their respective playing styles for both to shine at times but the latter should take Vieira's arrival as a warning to improve his contribution over the course of a full campaign.
