Fabio Vieira believes he is beginning to find his feet at Arsenal as he prepares for another start in the Carabao Cup tonight against Brighton.
Vieira joined Arsenal in the summer from Porto, arriving in a deal that could eventually be worth £34million, and he has explained that the move was a “no-brainer”.
The midfielder has shown flashes of brilliance so far, scoring twice, with six of his seven starts coming in the Europa League.
The 22-year-old is due to start again tonight, though, as Arsenal host Brighton and he believes he is beginning to settle into life at Emirates Stadium.
“This of course is a process,” said Vieira. “I am slowly integrating myself into a new country, a new culture, different weather. Everything is running smoothly - we are currently first [in the Premier League] and we are having a great season so far and we have to carry on working in the same way.
“It (Arsenal) is a club that I identify myself with - it is one of the biggest clubs in England and everyone knows it. There have always been world-class players who have played for Arsenal, and when I saw the project - and how I would fit into the project - it was a no-brainer to join Arsenal.”
Vieira is determined to make the grade at Arsenal and he has revealed his biggest inspirations are Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
“The two biggest influences for me are Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi,” Vieira told Arsenal’s official website. “Ronaldo, not because he is Portuguese, but he is really someone who really inspires others with his work ethic, how he had to leave his family and his comfort zone to sign for Sporting, and for him to build the career that he has built inspires everyone.
“Messi is more to do with my style of play. I am similar to Messi and I appreciate the way that he plays. I have met Ronaldo. I met him with the [Portugal] national team as we would both be at the gym, and again in our game at Manchester United. He would always provide support and give advice to young players.”
