Arsenal legend Ray Parlour reckons that £34million signing Fabio Vieira could be "even better" than Liverpool 's Luis Diaz.
Vieira was signed by the Gunners in June from Porto, the same club which Liverpool picked up Diaz from back in January for £50m. After a slow start to life in north London due to injury, the 22-year-old midfielder has begun to shine under Mikel Arteta. With two goals and one assist in his last two starts, Vieira is pushing for a place in Arsenal's starting XI when they face Liverpool on Sunday.
The Portuguese's performances have got Parlour raving, too, as the Gunners icon told TalkSPORT : "I saw him in pre-season, he looked good but then he had an injury and then he started getting back up to speed. He's technically gifted.
"I met a guy coming back from Portugal and he was sat next to me and he was a big Porto fan and he said 'you've got some player there, Vieira'. He's probably just as good as Luis Diaz, or even better!"
It's certainly a bold claim, as Diaz helped take an already ferocious Liverpool side up a level last season. The Colombian winger fired Jurgen Klopp 's men to two cup finals thanks to his prolific form and ensured that the Reds pushed eventual champions Manchester City all the way in the Premier League title race.
This season, though, Arsenal have been tipped to be England's next-best team, with the Gunners even having the chance to regain top spot from City if they beat Liverpool at the Emirates. Arteta has the headache of whether or not to select Vieira, but one thing is for sure, the Spanish tactician is a huge fan.
"Yes, you saw the quality," Arteta declared after Thursday's 3-0 victory over Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League, in which Vieira provided a goal and registered an assist over 90 minutes. "Every time he's around the box, he’s a real threat, really intelligent player and brave."
Have your say! Will Vieira prove to be a better signing than Vieira? Join the debate in the comments section.
However, the Arsenal manager does see one aspect of the Portugal youth international's game which could be improved. "In defending, he still needs to do more and understand it more," Arteta explained. "Because organisation is key when you play against good teams in ball possession."
Ex- England star Joe Cole waxed lyrical about Vieira's display at home to Bodo/Glimt, warning Gunners captain Martin Odegaard that he now faces competition for his starting spot. "What I love about Vieira is that finish is absolutely brimming with confidence," Cole declared on BT Sport post-match.
"He's gone "I'm going to put it in the roof of the net with my left foot and open the body'. Everything he does is with purpose and he's one of those technicians with an absolute velvet left foot. He's got the competition in Odegaard but this guy is a fantastic player."
