Arsenal project remains in good hands with Edu and Mikel Arteta

Arsenal has unexpectedly made headway in a move that will likely see the Gunners secure a deal for 22-year-old Portuguese youth international midfielder Fábio Vieira.

As reported earlier from multiple sources and then confirmed by The Athletic’s ever-reliable David Ornstein, Arsenal is set to shell out £30million + roughly £4million in add-ons for Vieira, who will be on a 5-year deal at the Emirates Stadium and has already flown to London to complete his medical before finalizing his move to the north London outfit.

🚨 Fabio Vieira set to join Arsenal from Porto. Fee €35m + €5m, 5yr deal. 22yo AMF flying to London today & will undergo medical before completing move. Process started + managed by Jorge Mendes, @TheAthleticUK after @pedromsepulveda scoop #AFC #FCPorto https://t.co/b839GEGBRC

— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) June 16, 2022

Vieira brings another creative profile to Arsenal under Mikel Arteta and will add his name alongside Martin Ødegaard and possibly Youri Tielemans as well after the club originally was in hot pursuit of the Belgian international midfielder who could still join despite the deal for the Portuguese.

But what is most important to remember about the impending deal for Vieira is just where Arsenal have come from in the last 18-months after both Arteta and club technical director first sunk their teeth into the club after faith was truly placed in them by owner Stan Kroenke and son Josh Kroenke.

It was not that long ago that countless Arsenal fans were left frustrated when Edu and Arteta turned to a free deal for former Chelsea attacking midfielder Willian in a bid to add creative quality to the Gunners’ ranks in a move that ultimately ended in disaster despite the Brazilian joining the Gunners on the back of what was statistically his best season in a Chelsea shirt.

But fast-forward to the present, and not only did the club rectify that move by pushing him out the door just one season later, but Edu and Arteta have turned to youth to great effect after pushing to secure Ødegaard on a full deal in the wake of a successful initial loan spell while overseeing the rapid rise and development of Hale End graduates Smith Rowe and Saka.

LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 07: Bukayo Saka of Arsenal celebrates with goalscorer Emile Smith Rowe during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Watford at Emirates Stadium on November 7, 2021, in London, England. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)

With all four players averaging at just 21.5-years-old, this falls in line with previous deals for the likes of Sambi Lokonga (22), Ben White (24), Nuno Tavares (22), Takehiro Tomiyasu (23), and Aaron Ramsdale (24).

Not only has the club pushed for a young core capable of pushing for Champions League football in the present, but a youthful attacking core also promises that Arteta and Edu are gearing up to keep faith in a vision that will hopefully secure major honors on a regular basis moving forward.

And there can be no doubt about the influence that Ødegaard, Smith Rowe, and Saka have had on the team despite their youthful exuberance.

Saka (11) and Smith Rowe (10) were the top-scoring players for Arsenal during the 2021-22 Premier League campaign, while Ødegaard (7) rounded out the top three.

London-native Saka was also joint-top for assists (7) last term while Ødegaard (4) was behind another young star in Gabriel Martinelli (6) in the helper’s chart.

Legendary Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger may have once famously quipped that you cannot win anything with kids, but those same kids are sure to develop into top footballers in the coming years, and you would be hard-pressed to find any Arsenal supporter that is not confident about what that could mean for the future.